House bill filed to give senior citizens 20% discount on toll fees

HB 5277 to upgrade expanded senior citizen law

Under the Expanded Senior Citizen Law, Filipinos aged 60 years old and above are entitled to a wide range of perks. Some of them include 20% discounts or VAT exemptions on restaurants, groceries, medicines, and PUV fares to name a few.

And now, Quezon City Representative Marvin Rillo wants to further grant discounts for our senior citizens by filing House Bill No. 5277 which aims to give 20% off on all expressway toll fees. Rillo is also the author of House Bill No. 5275 which seeks to grant persons with disabilities (PWDs) the same 20% discount on toll prices.

Based on the requirements, the motor vehicle must be registered under the name of the senior citizen once the owner applies for an RFID installation to avail of the discount. Under the bill, the Department of Transportation’s (DOTr) Toll Regulatory Board (TRB) will be the one to issue the implementing rules and regulations (IRRs) to enact the 20% discount for senior citizens.

“Our measure seeks to give more meaning to the mandate of the 1987 Constitution for the State to prioritize the rights and welfare of the elderly,” said QC Representative Marvin Rillo.

Currently, senior citizens are already exempt from paying airport and seaport passenger terminal fees. Should HB 5277 be passed into law, elderly vehicle owners should also be able to enjoy reduced toll rates, as long as they apply for RFID.