San Miguel Corp. has assured lawmakers that senior citizens and persons with disability would soon enjoy 20 percent discounts on fees charged when these qualified individuals use the various expressways operated by the diversified company’s infrastructure group.
The assurance was issued by a San Miguel representative during a public hearing called by House of Representatives’ committees on ways and means, senior citizens, and special committee on PWDs to investigate alleged gaps and confusion in the implementation of laws on discounts and benefits for seniors, PWDs and solo parents.
House Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez ordered the investigation after recieving complaints that many business establishments haven’t been honoring the mandated discounts.
Former public works undersecretary Rafael Yabut, who now heads San Miguels infrastructure group, told the committees that they support the grant of the 20-percent discount. He said they would coordinate with the Toll Regulatory Board and other concerned agencies on how to grant it.
San Miguel’s infrastructure group operates the Metro Manila and Ninoy Aquino International Airport skyway system, South Luzon Expressway, Southern Tagalog Arterial Road, and Tarlac-Pangasinan-La Union Expressway.
The other toll roads in Luzon are operated by Metro Pacific Corp. These are North Luzon Expressway, Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway, Cavite-Laguna Expressway, Cavite Expressway, and NLEX-SLEX Connector.
Albay Rep. Joey Salceda, who is presiding over the inquiry as ways and means committee chairman, suggested that instead of deducting 20 percent from the cost of an expressway or skyway radio frequency identification card or its top-up load, an equivalent amount would be added to the card price or additional load.
“In other words, it would be an add-on. If you buy P5,000, you get P6,000, or P1,000 more, which is equivalent to 20 percent. There is no loss on the part of the expressway/skyway operator,” he said.
He said the vehicle on which the RFID sticker would be attached should be registered under the name of the senior citizen or PWD.Yabut agreed to the proposal of Salceda, who thanked San Miguel Corp. for its gesture.
