Waiting to exhale (Part I)
When one heaves a long breath to exhale, it relieves all the tension. That is what retirement should be all about. However, in our country, where our social security system is still in dire need of boosting, the prospect of being jobless, insurance-less and aged stares an average Filipino senior citizen in the eye.
We have 11 million Filipinos who have reached 60 and above. I would like to think that that is a positive sign wherein 9.6% of our population are within the senior status. That means that the survival rate of senior citizens after employment or in fact after 60 still ranks high with women noted to have reached 80 to 82 years old and men to live to their late 70s on the average. The outliers reach even to a hundred and more, and if blessed with good health, their comprehension and mobility continues to make them conversant, and productive.
And this is where the tugging begins with the expected escalation in maintenance medicines and other health concerns the country has to really catch up with the demand for health care and social needs of the aged.
In an article, in the Philippine News Today by Jennifer T. Santos, Philippine Statistics Authority Chief Claire Dennis Mapa was quoted to say that “with the increasing longevity comes greater demand for health care, social protection, and income security.”
Although this sounds to some like a dark cloud over one’s head, we have to laud the efforts of government to try, in spite of our struggling economy to provide better health care services for most, if not all.
But it is useless to ponder on what we don’t have. It will only add to the stress and in fact lessen the life expectancy of some.
Republic Act No. 9994 or the expanded Senior Citizens Act of 2010 provides for what is enjoyed now by the elderly where they have 20% discounts in selected essentials, travel, and food as well as exemption from the value added tax, that I know most of the senior citizens just trust the restaurant to apply in their consumption, which, sadly is not often the case. Plus, in our culture where we do not want any fuss, only a few really question the bill. But that is a right and a law.
I would like to commend those restaurants and outlets who take pains to give the needed discounts even if their accounting later on will have to do their balancing on record when the store closes. It may seem like added work. But if a system is online, things just go smoothly. It is doable if the conscience to respect that part of the law is done accurately.
Moreso, I also like to think that as citizens, whether young or old, that respect for the humanity prevails.
I like the computation example given in the March 8, 2026 article of Respicio & Co., a law firm in the country that simplifies the computation of VAT exemption as just taking away the VAT amount before deducting the 20% cost on the item purchased that is VAT exempt.
Most point of sales (POS) systems already have this in their registers, but some still have not applied this and if you are not conscious, you end up still paying more with the VAT amount included.
Now, there is this new program of Philhealth called YAKAP short for Yaman at Kalusugan that covers primary health care consultations and health risk assessments. It also carried with it 75 essential outpatient medicines worth P20,000. Now, before your think that this is for life, this assistance is given per beneficiary to a maximum of that amount for one year only. After which you can once again avail of that benefit in the next year.
This is a good start. At least there is a little relief for those who are waiting to exhale.
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