QUEZON CITY, May 31 — The National Council on Disability Affairs (NCDA) calls on all establishments to refrain from requiring children, women, and seniors with disabilities for personal appearance to avail of the 20% discount during public health emergency particularly in areas under General Community Quarantine, Enhanced Community Quarantine, and Modified Enhanced Community Quarantine.
The NCDA made this call following countless complaints on establishments requiring personal appearance of persons with disabilities before availing of the twenty percent (20%) discount provided under Republic Act No. 9422 as amended by Republic Act No. 10754, ‘An Act Expanding the Benefits and Privileges of Persons with Disability.
NCDA OIC, Executive Director Mateo A. Lee Jr. said their office received many reports from the authorized representatives, heads of families, and relatives of persons with disabilities, stating that the purchase of medicines or other essential needs with a 20% discount is not recognized by a number of establishments.
This resulted in persons with disabilities themselves going out to purchase essential goods and services just to avail of the 20% discount which put them at high risk of exposure to COVID-19 due to their vulnerability, he said.
“This requirement of personal appearance has become discriminatory to many persons with disabilities, especially children with disabilities represented by their parents,” said Mateo.
Mateo also highlighted that, in line with the official announcement requiring all citizens to stay home amidst the health crisis, personal appearance to avail of the 20% discount imposed by establishments is discriminatory and a violation of RA 9442, RA 10754 and RA 11469 because the 20% discount is based on the exclusive enjoyment of persons with disabilities as determined by the consumption of concerned person with disability.
He reiterated by saying that the representative of a person with disability such as parents of children with disabilities or relatives should be given a 20% discount on the actual consumption of a person with disability as long as the representative can show the establishment the ID of the claim holder.
“The establishment can apply the determination of individual consumption based on the standard usual course of business of the industry to ensure reasonableness and integrity of the purchase,” Mateo said. (NCDA/MCG/PIA-IDPD)
By Melva GaytaPublished on May 31, 2020