Exemption of senior citizens from parking fees proposed

November 25, 2019 Metro BLISTT

Councilor Betty Lourdes Tabanda seeks the exemption of senior citizens from paying parking fees. Once approved, the ordinance filed by the lady councilor will require all business establishments to grant a free parking privilege to all senior citizens of the city.

Taking cue from a legislative tracking and analysis report conducted by the Research Division of the Sangguniang Panlungsod where several findings, comments, and recommendations were given for consideration, Tabanda has proposed the amendment of Ordinance 08-2013 (requiring the grant to senior citizens of at least 20% discount in parking fees).

Under the amendatory ordinance, all business establishments, whether operated by the government, barangay, or private entities, must grant a free parking privilege to all senior citizens. Aside from presenting a valid senior citizen identification card, the following conditions in availing the free parking privilege will be added:

The senior citizen must be a resident of Baguio City; the senior citizen must be the one driving or is a passenger in the motor vehicle; Exemption from payment of parking fees shall apply only on the first three hours. On the fourth hour, the corresponding hourly rate shall already apply and be collected; and no fees shall be collected from the senior citizen in case of a flat rate policy.

The ordinance, once passed, will oblige all business establishments that collect parking fees to install necessary signage’s to inform the public of the free parking privilege that senior citizens are entitled to.

The ordinance further stipulates that complaints on violations of any provision of this ordinance may be filed with the Office of the Senior Citizen Affairs which will assist in the filing of the necessary charges.

Any business establishment found to be in violation of the ordinance will be fined P1, 000.00 for the first offense, P1, 500.00 for the second offense, and P2, 000.00 for the third offense. The proposed amendatory ordinance was approved on first reading during the Council’s Regular Session on November 18, 2019 and was referred to Committee on Laws, Human Rights, and Justice for further study and recommendations.

Jordan G. Habbiling/ABN