Although many Filipinos may have already established a new life overseas, there’s simply no denying that a life back home is unmatched. With the presence of family and friends, good food, lower cost of living, beautiful beaches, and warmth of Filipino hospitality, it’s no wonder many choose to become dual citizens instead so they can opt to retire in the Philippines.
In a previous article, we shared how Filipino-Americans are choosing to enjoy their sunset years while reconnecting with their roots, and how they have weighed the pros and cons of doing so. For those still considering whether to retire in their current country of residence or back home, there is still the matter of going about one’s finances while budgeting a pension.
One has to think about having sufficient money to cover living expenses in the Philippines, from renting or purchasing a home to health care, transportation, other recurring necessities, and sustaining one’s lifestyle. Any spending on non-essentials such as travel will largely depend on one’s individual financial capacity.
Nevertheless, many Filipino-Americans find that overall, retiring in the Philippines is financially advantageous and helps them save money. Whatever their income in the U.S., it’s still valued higher in the Philippines and their spending power is significantly higher as commodities back home are generally priced cheaper.
Senior citizens by the numbers
Under Article 302 of the Philippines’ Labor Code, employees in the private sector have the option to retire by age 60, while retirement is compulsory by age 65. While the Philippines’ legal retirement age is at 65, there are quite a number who choose to end their working days at age 60. Most companies also offer early retirement benefits beginning at age 60.
According to the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), the number of Filipinos aged 60 and above doubled to 9.22 million in 2020 from just 4.6 million in 2000. The Population Commission has also projected that by 2035, senior citizens comprise 14 percent of the population.
The perks of dual citizenship
That’s not counting Filipino dual citizens who plan on retiring in the Philippines. Dual citizenship allows them to enjoy the same privileges and rights as other Filipinos in the country, from voting in national elections to purchasing land and practicing a certain profession. (Watch this space for our story about acquiring dual citizenship in the Philippines if you haven’t yet.)
Another perk that balikbayans will enjoy once they enter their senior years is access to the senior citizen ID, which provides multiple benefits to aid them in their daily living here in the Philippines. Under Republic Act No. 9994, otherwise known as the “Expanded Senior Citizens Act of 2010,” senior citizens receive a 20 percent discount and exemption from value-added tax or VAT, which covers items such as medicine, specific vaccines, doctors’ professional fees, medical and dental services, fares of domestic flights and public utility vehicles, admission fees in theaters, as well as funeral and burial services.
Apart from these benefits, the senior citizen ID provides free dental and medical services as well as laboratory and diagnostic fees in government hospitals. They’re also priority in commercial and government establishments.
“You get access to express lanes in stores like supermarkets,” shares Linda Filoteo, 67, a barangay conciliator. “It’s great because you don’t need get tired standing in line for a long time.”
Another perk that senior citizens like Linda thoroughly enjoy is being able to watch movies for free in cinemas. “We can watch the latest movies every Monday and Tuesday,” adds Linda, whose hometown is in Taytay, a municipality in Rizal province. In fact, the theaters in shopping malls often receive a good amount of foot traffic from senior citizens because of these perks.
On top of the national government’s mandated benefits for senior citizens, local government units such as cities and municipalities also come up with their own unique perks. Makati City’s Blu Card, for instance, entitles cardholders to an annual cash gift ranging from P3,000 to P5,000 depending on the senior citizen’s age, as well as a cake every year on their birthday. They are also exempt from vehicle coding in Makati, whether they are the driver or passenger. Should the cardholder reach the age of 100, they are also entitled to P100,000.
Getting a senior citizen ID
The process of getting a senior citizen ID in the Philippines is fairly convenient. As with any form of identification in the Philippines, one has to avail of these via a municipal office, in this case, the Office for Senior Citizens’ Affairs (OSCA). All they need to do is to fill up an application form and present their birth certificate, along with a 1×1 ID picture and any valid government-issued ID.
In some cases, the ID is readily available upon submission of complete requirements, but there are instances when the senior citizen has to wait five working days from their date of application.
Many senior citizens can attest to how fast and easy the process is for getting an ID. Wes*, for example, a 61-year-old airline employee from Austin, Texas, recalls his positive experience acquiring one in Quezon City.
“I got mine done at the Barangay Pinagkaisahan Hall in Cubao,” he recalls. “The process was very easy and straightforward.”
Mary Ann*, a 63-year-old former airline flight attendant based in Los Angeles, California, also got her senior citizen ID at the same OSCA office.
“No hassles,” she emphasizes. “I didn’t have a hard time at all getting my senior citizen ID, and so far, we’ve been enjoying the restaurant discounts the most.”
Room for improvement
If there are any inconveniences to using a senior citizen ID, it would be its previous format as well as using it in supermarkets and drugstores.
“The senior citizen ID used to be just regular paper and you had to insert it in a plastic pouch or have it laminated,” Linda notes. “Luckily, today, they’ve been using the same sturdy plastic material as the driver’s license.”
To ensure that it is the senior citizens themselves availing of the discount on basic commodities, they also need to bring a purchase booklet so the cashier at the supermarket or drugstore can record their transactions. Forgetting to bring the booklet can cause inconvenience in case they need to urgently buy something. In line with this, House Resolution 1263 has been filed to discontinue the use of the purchase slip booklet to promote the enhanced shopping convenience of senior citizens.
Badge of honor
Because of all the great perks that come with a senior citizen ID, there’s no denying that for some, it’s a badge of honor. “We’re definitely proud to declare that we have our senior citizen IDs whenever we go out, because it entitles us to a considerable discount,” Linda says. “We also appreciate that we have our own priority lane whenever we go shopping or avail of certain services. For example, we don’t need to pay whenever we use pay toilets in establishments, plus, we save a lot when we dine in fast food joints.”
On the other side of the fence, Wes and Mary Ann feel that though helpful, these benefits and privileges do not exactly make life easier in the Philippines for senior dual citizens like them.
“The card will help seniors like us avail discounts and some freebies, but unfortunately, these are not enough to make life in the Philippines more comfortable than where I’m presently residing,” said Mary Ann. “Still, we definitely recommend that fellow senior balikbayans avail the senior citizen ID card.”
*Names have been changed