“It’s a go.”
This was the statement issued today by Akbayan Party regarding the 20% discount on medicines, which can be availed by people with disabilities (PWDs) from all Mercury Drug outlets nationwide starting this month.
The said discount is mandated by Republic Act No. 7277 or the “Magna Carta for Disabled Persons.” However, the drug company failed to comply with the said law, saying that the discount will eventually “affect their bottom-line.”
But through the prodding of Akbayan Rep. Walden Bello and the House of Representatives Committee on Social Services (HRep-CSS) chaired by Rep. Arturo Robes, the drug company was convinced to act in accordance with the law through a Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) signed on March 1 this year which binds Mercury Drug to make available the discount to all PWDs.
The said MoA gave the drug chain one month to prepare implementing the discount. But it was reported that on March 14, the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) granted the drugstore chain an additional one month —from April 1 to May 1—to make all the adjustments in its operating systems to implement the discount.
“In this time of economic hardship, hopefully, this important victory will help in alleviating the suffering of poor Filipino families and the PWD sector,” said Bello.
Bello said that PWDs who wish to avail of the discount must first apply for a PWD Identification Card. Application forms for the PWD ID Card can be obtained from Office of the Mayor, Office of the Barangay Captain, National Council for Disability Affairs (NCDA) or its regional counterpart, Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) offices and other participating organizations with memorandum of agreements with the Department of Health.
After filling up and signing the application form and attaching a 1x1 picture, the applicant must secure a clinical abstract from a licensed private or government clinic and attached such in the application form before submitting it to the City of Municipal Health Office or its satellite offices or stations at the barangay for screening.
In cases that the PWDs are not ambulatory, the health office shall visit the applicant to validate the entries and disability. All approved applications shall be valid for three years. (end)
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