House bill seeks 20% discount on toll road prices for PWDs

MANILA, Philippines — A lawmaker is batting for the passage of new legislation that would give persons with disabilities a fixed 20% discount on toll road prices.

Rep. Marvin Rillo (Quezon City, 4th District) filed Friday House Bill No. 5275, which grants PWDs “a 20% discount on the toll fees of skyways and expressways that are paid through radio frequency identification (RFID) or similar systems.”

“Once enacted, our measure will surely give more substance to the mandate of the Constitution for the State to prioritize the needs of Filipinos who are highly vulnerable to marginalization,” Rillo said in a statement on the eve of International Day of Persons with Disabilities.

Under the measure, the motor vehicle using the skyway or expressway must be registered in the name of the PWD, who must submit a copy of his or her PWD ID card to the tollway operator when applying for an RFID tag to avail of the 20% discount.

The Department of Transportation’s Toll Regulatory Board would be required to issue the rules to enforce the discount.

The bill seeks to amend the Magna Carta for Disabled Persons that grants them a wide range of benefits and privileges, including a 20% discount plus value-added tax exemption on the sale of certain goods and services.

At present, PWDs already enjoy a 20% discount on public transport fares, including train ride tickets.

December 3 of every year is observed worldwide to promote the rights and welfare of individuals with long-term physical, mental, intellectual or sensory impairments.

An estimated 12% of Filipinos aged 15 years and older experience a severe disability, according to the Philippine Statistics Authority’s National Disability Prevalence Survey.

The survey also showed that “severe disability” affects more Filipino women at 15% than just 9% among men.