Gas discounts for seniors

A talk on spiritual matters would have been quite appropriate for our guest speaker at last Tuesday’s Bulong-Pulungan at the Hotel Sofitel. After all, it was just two days after the Holy Week and understandably, most people were somehow, still in a state of reverence.

But no. Our guest speaker that day — Bishop Bienvenido “Benny” Abante of the Philippine Baptist Church — instead spoke of more mundane topics related to everyday living, such as the Expanded Value Added Tax (EVAT) and the benefits and privileges granted by law to senior citizens.

This was not surprising since he was a former congressman of the 6th District of Manila and had actively participated in legislative work on these two issues. Abante, in fact, was the principal author in the House of Representatives of the Expanded Senior Citizens Act of 2010, or R. A. 9994.           

Before the forum, Abante told me that if he had the chance, among the things he would like to work on as a legislator is the reduction of the EVAT from its current 12 percent rate to eight or even six percent. He was particularly vocal about extending the 20 percent senior citizens discount to the purchase of gasoline or diesel fuel for vehicles used by the elderly. At the very least, their gas purchases should be exempt from the 12 percent EVAT, Abante said.

The seniors among us in the forum expressed enthusiastic support for this move. Many of the country’s elderly are still compelled to work to support their needs. Even if they are receiving pension, this is so meager and goes mainly to maintenance medicines to mitigate the suffering from a variety of ailments.

The situation becomes compounded for working seniors who have to get rides in public transport, especially during the rainy season when they have to contend with choosy and snobbish taxi drivers. Hence, those of us who own a car will greatly appreciate such an additional benefit.

In an earlier piece last month, I wrote about some of the benefits that the law grants to seniors. Still, I was pleased to know from Abante about the other numerous benefits and privileges which seniors could avail of, many of which remain unknown even to journalists like me.

For instance, families with bed-ridden or physically disabled elders should know that the 20 percent discount and the exemption to the 12 percent EVAT extends to the purchase of accessories and equipment like crutches, canes, walkers and manual or electric-powered wheelchairs. They can also avail of such benefits for eyeglasses, dentures, hearing aids, prosthetics and even for artificial bone replacements like steel.

In restaurants and dining places, if a group of diners is composed entirely of senior citizens, each should be given the 20 percent discount and exemption from the EVAT as long as they present valid IDs. The discounts also apply to take-out or drive-thru orders as long as it is the senior citizen who personally makes the order.

Abante also pointed out that the same privilege extends to delivery orders. But the ID number should be given when making the order and the ID itself must be presented to the delivery personnel to verify identity.

After his stint in Congress, he has been visiting the various Baptist groups in the country that counts some eight million members. Quite pragmatically, Abante is using these visits not only to spread the word of God but also to inform people about the provisions of the Expanded Senior Citizens Act and his advocacy concerning the reduction of the EVAT.

Perhaps the good bishop should enlist the support of the eight million strong Baptist congregations to exert pressure on our lawmakers to pass a law that would reduce the rate of the EVAT that has now become an oppressive imposition.

 But even if he only succeeds in making us seniors exempt from the 12 percent EVAT on our gas consumption, that would be a huge “Abante” on our part.

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In a previous column, I wrote about a friend-forwarded message re the treatment of burns with egg white. A reader, johnwdenne, shared with me snopes.com materials on the topic of egg white as burn treatment. I must state to my readers some of whom take my word like gospel truth, that the home-spun treatment should be used not for all burns, but for minor burns at home only. But one should first cool the affected area completely with cold water before applying anything to the wound. According to the internet message, “When sustaining a burn, regardless of the degree, the first aid is always placing the injured part under running cold water till the heat subsides.”

A snopes.com articles states that “first degree burns (which are the least severe of the three classes of this type of injury) are the only sort one should be trying to treat at home without summoning additional medical assistance. Effective first aid begins with stopping the burning process; otherwise, the affected flesh continues to cook, further damaging the injured area. For this reason, the recommended action is to immediately immerse the burned area in cool water or under gently rung cool water for a minimum of five minutes. Doing so halts the burning process, numbs the pain, and prevents or reduces swelling. If the injury cannot be immersed or positioned under a faucet, cool water is to be poured over it for the same amount of time. Never use ice on burns.”

E-mailed material state that applying egg white on a minor burn (which has been cooled with water) should be done as an emergency remedy. In my case, if hot cooking oil is splashed on my fingers, I’d cool them under running water, dry them, then rub an egg white over them.

If I have severe third degree burns, I will not resort to cold water treatment, or egg white, but I’d rush, or ask to be taken off, to a medical facility immediately.

For more on burns treatment, check www.snopes.com/medical/homecure/eggwhite.asp#c8rBfjSXaspiTvud.03

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