Electronic IDs for senior citizens in Davao

• Source: http://www.bworldonline.com/content.php?title=electronic-ids-for-senior-citizens-in-davao&id=110082
• Monday, June 22, 2015

By Carmencita A. Carillo

DAVAO CITY -- An electronic identification system or e-ID for the city’s senior citizens has been launched with the local government spending about P700,000 for the project.

Some 21,791 electronic IDs have been released after employees have gone around the city to replace seniors’ old cards with new ones, Azucena T. Bajao, head of the Office for Senior Citizens Affairs (OSCA). The modern e-ID is part of the city government’s continuing program for the implementation of Republic Act (RA) 9994, the Expanded Senior Citizens Act of 2010.

Ms. Bajao also called on senior citizens to pay a visit to the OSCA office to avail of the e-ID as some barangays do not have offices with air-conditioning, which is needed by the ID machine.

As of the 2010 survey, there were 71,000 recorded senior citizens, defined as those 60 years old and above, in the city and the number is estimated to reach 100,000.

Ms. Bajao added that there are 485 senior citizen chapters in 14 districts but only about 55,000 are active members.

At the same time, Ms. Bajao stressed that aside from the e-ID, any valid government-issued ID should be honored by establishments and service providers such as public transportation as provided by RA 9994.

“We have received complaints that some establishments do not give the discounts if they don’t have the OSCA ID but according to the law any valid government ID will do,” she said.

The city government has established an OSCA complaint board to address grievances and has designated a lawyer to assist senior citizens.

Violators of the Senior Citizens Law shall be penalized with an imprisonment of up to six years and a fine of up to P100,000 for the first violation, and imprisonment of up to six years and a fine of up to P200,000 for subsequent violations.

On the other hand, seniors who are proven to have abused the privileges granted by the law will be punished with imprisonment of not less than six months and a fine of up to P100,000.

Among the senior citizen benefits under the law is a 20% discount on food, basic commodities, services and a free movie pass during a designated schedule.