CHED offers scholarship grants to senior citizens

La Trinidad, Benguet, Philippines – Elderly people who wish to continue their studies can still go back to school with the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) Cordillera Region’s newest scholarship program.

CHED said the study grant is for senior citizens 60 years old and above who want to go back to school.

CHED Regional Director Freddie Bernal said the grant aims to maximize the contribution of the elderly to nation building and provide access and equity to quality education among financially-disadvantaged but academically deserving students.

Bernal said scholars will be given a study grant for a continuing education program at selected state universities and colleges.

The elderly scholars only need to present their high school report card for those pursuing baccalaureate degrees and a college or master’s diploma and transcript of records for graduate studies.

Before their scholarships are granted, they must also show their birth certificate, valid passport, barangay ID, voters ID or senior citizen’s ID.

The CHED also requires the elderly to present their certificate of good health from any government physician, certificate of good moral character from the barangay chairman, and an acceptance letter from the admitting higher education institution.

According to Bernal, the elderly will enjoy a P5,000 per semester study grant to cover tuition and other school fees, book allowance and stipend or a total of P10,000 per academic year.

The CHED is open for applications from January up to the second week of May of every school year.

Bill to exempt senior citizens from VAT

Meanwhile, senators have come up with the report on a bill seeking to exempt senior citizens from paying Expanded Value Added Tax (EVAT) and provide them with other privileges and benefits.

Senate Bill No. 3561 or the Expanded Senior Citizens Act of 2009 seeks to amend Republic Act No. 7432 known as the Act to Maximize the Contribution of Senior Citizens to Nation Building, Grant Benefits and Special Privileges and For Other Purposes.

Under the proposal, citizens above 60 must be entitled to 20 percent discount and exemption from the EVAT provided under the National Internal Revenue Code on the sale of goods and services from all establishments for the exclusive use and enjoyment or availment of senior citizens, of the following: the purchase of medicine, including influenza and pneumococcal vaccines; professional fees of attending physicians in all private hospitals, medical clinics and outpatient clinics; medical and dental services; diagnostic and laboratory fees in all private hospitals and medical facilities and outpatient clinics, in accordance with the rules and regulations to be issued by the Department of Health and coordination with the Philippine Insurance Corp.

The others are: actual fare for land transportation travel in public utility buses, jeepneys, taxis, Asian utility vehicles, shuttle services and public railways, including the Light Rail Transit, Mass Rail Transit and Philippine National Railways; actual transportation fare for domestic air transport services, sea shipping vessel and the like based on actual fare, advanced booking and similar discounted fare.

Senior citizens will also enjoy discounts on the utilization of services in hotels and similar lodging establishments, restaurants and recreation centers and on admission fees charged by theaters, cinemas and concert halls, circuses, carnivals and other similar places of culture, leisure and amusement; and training fees for socio-economic programs.

They should also be exempted from the payment of individual income taxes of senior citizens considered minimum wage earners in accordance with RA No. 9504.

Based on the proposal, the elderly will also get free medical and dental service, diagnostic and laboratory fees such as, but not limited to, x-rays, computerized tomography (CT) scans and blood tests, in all government facilities, subject to the guidelines to be issued by the DOH and PhilHealth.

The DOH shall also administer free vaccination against influenza and pneumococcal disease for indigent senior citizen patients.

Educational assistance will be given to senior citizens to pursue post secondary, tertiary, post tertiary, as well as vocational or technical education in both public and private schools through provision of scholarship, grant, financial aid, subsidies and other incentives to qualified senior citizens, including support for books, learning materials, and uniform allowance, to the extent feasible, provided that the senior citizen will meet minimum admission requirements.

“To the extent practicable and feasible, the continuance of the same benefits and privileges given by the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS), Social Security System (SSS) and Pag-IBIG, as the case may be, as are enjoyed by those in actual service,” must also be accorded the senior citizens.

The bill also states that: Retirement benefits of retirees from both the government and private sector shall be regularly reviewed to ensure their continuing responsiveness and sustainability, and to the extent practicable and feasible, shall be upgraded to be at par with the current scale enjoyed by those in actual service.  ––Artemio Dumlao (The Philippine Star) with Aurea Calica