Philippine lawmakers want discount options on online platforms and in establishments to be more accessible to senior citizens and persons with disabilities.

According to representative Rodolfo “Ompong” Ordanes of the Senior Citizens Partylist, businesses should not hide the menu options for availing senior citizen and PWD discounts, nor shall they make it hard to find these options.

Ordanes specifically called out Grab as an example, in which, the user interface is reportedly not obvious for the user to navigate to be identified as a senior or PWD. On the other hand, Ordanes praised Cebu Pacific as a model for having a system that automatically applies a 20-percent discount for seniors based on the transaction date and birth date.

The local government of Quezon City was also cited positively for its implementation of discounts through the use of a functional electronic database and identification system that’s capable of distinguishing valid ID holders from invalid ones.

Besides apps and online retailers, Ordanes also identified point-of-sale counters in physical stores that need a streamlined form of implementing senior, PWD and even student discounts. Their machines and software need to be updated or even reprogrammed, according to the congressman. He claims that businesses are likely reluctant to upgrade their outdated equipment because of the underlying problem of incurring expenses.

Meanwhile, the ways and means committee in the House of Representatives has recently formed a technical working group to lead in the review and amendment of current laws pertaining to the discounts for affected sectors.

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