CO-SPONSORSHIP SPEECHSenate Bill No. 2890by Senate President Pro-Tempore RalphG. Recto10 !"!st 201# $t has been said that a "o%ernment&s "reatness is meas!red 'by ho( it treats those (ho are in the da(n o) li)e* the children+ those (ho are in the t(ili"ht o) li)e*the elderly+ and those (ho are in the shado(s o) li)e* the sic,* the needy and the handicapped.- The same test applies to .on"ress as (ell* (here on ta/ matters* (e (ill be ad0!d"ed more by ho( (e ha%e helped those (ho ha%e )allen thro!"h crac,s* than by ho( (e (ere able to pl!" the lea,s. 1r. President2 This bill is abo!t those in the shado(s 3 thehidden many (ho do not ha%e the m!scle tolobby* nor possess the po(er)!l %oice )or them to be heard abo%e the clamor o) the political season. Some are not capable o) speech. B!t their m!ted state e/plains )ar more elo4!ently than (ords co!ld e%er be on (hy this bill m!st be passed. This bill has t(o aims2 5irst* to e/empt persons (ith disability 6P78s9 )rom payin" the :T on certain "oods and ser%ices. Second* to pro%ide additional income ta/ e/emption to those (ho are carin" )or a P78. mon" the "oods and ser%ices to be ta,en o!t o) :T co%era"e are medicines+ medicaland dental ser%ices+ hospital and laboratory )ees+ and local transport )ares. So i) a P78 rides a plane* train* ship or b!sto any local place* he (ill not pay the sales ta/ on the tic,et. nd i)* !pon reachin" his destination* he orders )ood in a resta!rant inthe hotel (here he is chec,ed in* he does not pay a :T on both. Second* this bill see,s to ma,e a person (ith disability a dependent )or income ta/ p!rposes. child* parent* or e%en a le"al "!ardian o) aP78* re"ardless o) a"e* (ho is incapable o) sel)-s!pport* can there)ore claim additional ta/ e/emption )or the said dependent. The ta/ ded!ction is the same as (hat is c!rrently claimed by a parent o) a child not o%er the a"e o) 21* (hich is 2#*000 pesos ann!ally. Beca!se the bill speci)ies the care"i%er as the one (ho can a%ail o) the e/emption* then a child (ho has a disabled parent in his care !nder his roo) can claim the ta/ relie). This is in response to the sit!ation )aced by millions o) )amilies today (ho ha%e t!rned their residences into homes )or the a"ed. This is so beca!se (e ha%e a c!lt!re (hich )ro(ns !pon the practice o) lettin" stran"erscare )or a parent. ;%en )or those (ho are (illin" and (ealthy eno!"h to b!c, con%ention* there are )e( s!ch )acilities here. This has )orced many o) !s to p!t hospital beds in o!r rooms $t is (itho!t do!bt the national b!d"et. 7e sho!ld do all o) the abo%e* in addition topassin" this bill* beca!se it has been said that the (orst ,ind o) disability is bein" paraly=ed )rom comin" to the aid o) those (ho need help. 1!ch remains to be done. Bet me say* ho(e%er* that (e cannot be acc!sed o) ha%in" ttention 8e)icit 8isorder (ith respect to the pli"ht o) the P78s. $ already mentioned the %ario!s b!d"et initiati%es (hich* $ (ill be the )irst to concede* need to be increased and e/panded. Second* let me point o!t that in the last .on"ress* (hen it (as the Senior n"ara (ho (as here and not the Better n"ara* the bill on "rantin" hi"her income ta/ e/emptions )or P78s* (hich $ a!thored* (as passed by the Senate* and the Ao!se passed its %ersion too* b!t )ailed to be reconciled by a bicameral con)erence. There is also the apprehension that this bill (ill be hard to implement* a )ear bein" )anned so as to abort it* b!t (hich )alls )lat on its )ace on t(o co!nts. 5irst* there&s already a system bein" )ollo(ed (ith respect to :T e/emptions "ranted to seniors+ second* on the matter o) increasin"ta/ ded!ctions )or P78s* it (ill not complicate )ilin" as m!ch as the ne( complicated $TRs do. $mplementation can be h!rdled. @es* (or, needs to be done* b!t this pales in comparison to the handicap and hardship that P78s ha%e to o%ercome e%ery day. The challen"e is to do more )or them beca!se at 1.C million* both their n!mber and the ne"lect they s!))er are too many and too se%ere to be i"nored. 1aramin" salamat po.