Persons With Disability Claim Your 20% Discount On Major Expenses

Those living with a person with disability knows for sure how expensive it is to cater to this kind of lifestyle especially with the other expenses they have to incur like medication, treatment, therapy, care taker and other special needs.

Good thing the Republic Act (RA) 9442 which amended RA 7277 known as the Magna Carta for Disabled Person took in effect some priviledges to ease out on some major expenses. The law was signed last April 30 by President Arroyo.

RA 9442 provides twenty (20) percent discount to persons with disability: (Sorry this law is for Philippine residents and citizens only)

1) from all establishments relative to utilization of all services in hotels and similar lodging establishments; restaurants and recreation centers.

2) (a minimum of 20 percent discount) on admission fees charged by theaters, cinema houses, concert halls, circuses, carnivals and other similar places of culture, leisure and amusement.

3) for the purchase of medicines in all drugstores

4) on medical and dental services including diagnostic and laboratory fees such as, but not limitted to x-rays, computerized tomography scans and blood test in all government facilities, subject to the guidelines to be issued by the Department of Health (DOH) in coordination with the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PHILHEALTH).

5) on medical and dental services INCLUDING diagnostic and laboratory fees, AND professional fees of attending doctors in ALL PRIVATE hospitals and medical fascilities, in accordance with the rules and regulations to be issued by DOH in coordination with the PHILHEALTH.

6) on fare for domestic air and sea travel.

7) in public railways, skyways, and bus fare.

How to get the ID card.

File your application form together with the following valid identification:

1) Residence certificate or baranggay ID from the municipal mayor or barangau captain of the place where the person with disability resides.
2) The passport of the person with disability concerned or
3) The transporation fare discount ID issued by the National Council for the Welfare of Disabled Persons (NCWDP).

You (the person with disability) will need a 2 copy 1×1 picture.

Type of disability

Disabled persons was defined in the said law as those suffering from restriction or different abilities as a result of a mental, physical or sensory impairment to perform an activity in the manner or within the range considered normal for a human being. Impairment is any loss, diminution or aberration of psychological, physiological, or anatomical structure or function.

In their application form the type of disability can be either:

1) psychological disability
2) mental disability
3) hearing disability
4) chronic illness
5) visual disability
6) speech impairment
6) learning disability
7) orthopedic (musculoskeletal) disability
8) multiple disability.

You may get the above application form (Philippine Registry Form For Persons With Disability) from your local municipal offices, barangay offices or to your local DOH offices.

Do not waste a single moment, go visit your local municipal office or barangay offices and get a disability ID card to enjoy the said benefits.

You should not worry about being ridiculed and mocked for identifying yourself or a family member as a person with disability as the amended law also prohibits verbal or non-verbal ridicule and vilification against persons with disability.(I wish the U.S. government have this kind of law inact so that mother with a child with autism who was literally carried off the plain will be meted with this penalties).

Those who will violate any provision of this act shall suffer;

1) First offense: a fine not less than P50,000 but not exceeding P100,000 or imprisonment of not less than six months but not more than two years or both at the discretion of the court.

2) For subsequent violation, a fine not less than P100,000 but not exceeding P200,000 or imprisonment of not less than 2 years but not more than 6 years or both at the discretion of the court.

Do not abuse the system though as those who will will be imprisoned for not less than 6 months or a fine not less than P5,000 but not more than P50,000 or both at the discretion of court.

If the violator is a corporation, organization or a similar entity, the officials directly involved shall be held liable.

If the violator is an alien or a foreigner, he shall be deported immediately after service of sentence without further deportation proceedings. (I have a question though, what if the person violated is a Filipino but the ridicule and vilification happened out of the country? I will have to research on that one.)