THERACONCEPTS: International Day of Persons with Disabilities

2008 Theme:

"Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities:

Dignity and justice for all of us"

Let us celebrate this day by highlighting one important disability law here in the Philippines--- REPUBLIC ACT NO. 9442 --- an act amending REPUBLIC ACT NO. 7277, otherwise known as the "MAGNA CARTA FOR DISABLED PERSONS, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES"

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in Congress assembled:

SECTION 1. a new chapter, to be denominated as "Chapter 8. Other privileges and Incentives" is hereby added to Title Two of Republic Act No. 7277, otherwise known as the "Magna Carta for Disabled Persons", with new Sections 32 and 33, to read as follows:

CHAPTER 8. Other Privileges and Incentives

SEC. 32. Persons with disability shall be entitled to the following:

(a) At least twenty percent (20%) discount from all establishments relative to the utilization of all services in hotels and similar lodging establishments; restaurants and recreation centers for the exclusive use or enjoyment of persons with disability;

(b) A minimum of twenty percent (20%) discount on admission fees charged by theaters, cinema houses, concert halls, circuses, carnivals and other similar places of culture, leisure and amusement for the exclusive use of enjoyment of persons with disability;

(c) At least twenty percent (20%) discount for the purchase of medicines in all drugstores for the exclusive use or enjoyment of persons with disability;

(d) At least twenty percent (20%) discount on medical and dental services including diagnostic and laboratory fees such as, but not limited to, x-rays, computerized tomography scans and blood tests, in all government facilities, subject to guidelines to be issued by the Department of Health (DOH), in coordination with the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PHILHEALTH)

(e) At least twenty percent (20%) discount on medical and dental services including diagnostic and laboratory fees, and professional fees of attending doctors in all private hospitals and medical facilities, in accordance with the rules and regulations to be issued by the DOH, in coordination with the PHILHEALTH;

(f) At least twenty percent (20%) discount on fare for domestic air and sea travel for the exclusive use or enjoyment of persons with disability;

(g) At least twenty percent (20%) discount in public railways, skyways and bus fare for the exclusive use and enjoyment of person with disability;

(h) Educational assistance to persons with disability, for them to pursue primary, secondary, tertiary, post tertiary, as well as vocational or technical education, in both public and private schools, through the provision of scholarships, grants, financial aids, subsidies and other incentives to qualified persons with disability, including support for books, learning material, and uniform allowance to the extent feasible: Provided, That persons with disability shall meet minimum admission requirements;

(i) 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;

(j) To the extent possible, the government may grant special discounts in special programs for persons with disability on purchase of basic commodities, subject to guidelines to be issued for the purpose by the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) and the Department of Agricultural (DA);and
(k) Provision of express lanes for persons with disability in all commercial and government establishments; in the absence thereof, priority shall be given to them.
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