‘Businesses denying seniors’ 20% discount face up to ₱200K fine, 6 years in jail’ - NCSC-Cordillera

BAGUIO CITY — Business establishments that refuse to grant senior citizens their mandatory 20-percent discount could face fines of up to ₱200,000 and imprisonment of up to six years, the National Commission of Senior Citizens–Cordillera Administrative Region (NCSC-CAR) warned.

NCSC-CAR Regional Director Atty. Luz Laureta-Balisong said during a Philippine Information Agency radio program on October 12 that denying the legally mandated discount may constitute a criminal offense under Republic Act No. 9994, or the Expanded Senior Citizens Act of 2010.

She stressed that the discount is a legal right of qualified senior citizens, not a benefit businesses may choose to grant or withhold.

Under the law, a first offense carries a fine of ₱50,000 to ₱100,000 and imprisonment of two to six years. Subsequent violations carry a fine of ₱100,000 to ₱200,000 and imprisonment of two to six years.

The law also provides qualified senior citizens with value-added tax exemptions on eligible purchases and services for their personal use and enjoyment.

Balisong said the NCSC-CAR has partnered with the Public Attorney’s Office and the Integrated Bar of the Philippines to help pursue appropriate legal action against establishments that violate senior citizens’ rights.

Senior citizens who are denied the benefits may report the incident to the Office of Senior Citizens Affairs in their locality, she said.

Apart from the mandatory 20-percent discount, qualified senior citizens are entitled to a separate five-percent special discount on eligible basic necessities and prime commodities under Joint Administrative Order No. 24-02, Series of 2024.

The additional discount covers qualified purchases of goods such as rice, vegetables and fresh meat, subject to a weekly purchase cap of ₱2,500, allowing a maximum discount of ₱125 per week. Unused discounts cannot be carried over to the following week.

A PIA-CAR report dated October 7, 2025, said around 193,000 senior citizens in the Cordillera were registered in the NCSC database as of August 2025. The figure covers registered beneficiaries and may not represent the region’s entire senior citizen population.

Balisong urged business establishments to comply with the law and honor qualified senior citizens’ discounts to avoid possible legal action and penalties.