Getting a Senior Citizen or PWD ID

Senior Citizen ID: Who Qualifies and Where to Apply

Under the Expanded Senior Citizens Act of 2010 (Republic Act No. 9994, or RA 9994), a senior citizen is a resident Filipino citizen at least 60 years old. Dual citizens qualify too if they prove their Philippine citizenship and have lived in the Philippines for at least six months.

Apply at the OSCA of your city or municipality (often at the city or municipal hall). The law says the OSCA ID is free and honored nationwide.

The OSCA usually asks for proof of age and residence, such as your PSA Birth Certificate or another ID showing your birth date, a Barangay Certificate of Residency, and ID photos. Ask your OSCA for its list.

PWD ID: Who Qualifies and Where to Apply

Any Filipino with a long-term disability, whether apparent (visible) or non-apparent (such as a psychosocial (mental health), learning or chronic illness-related disability), can apply. A family member or caregiver may help.

Apply at your city or municipality's Persons with Disability Affairs Office (PDAO), or the mayor's office or social welfare office where there is no PDAO. The National Council on Disability Affairs (NCDA) guidelines list these requirements:

• the PWD registration form, filled in manually or through the DOH online registry and printed;
• recent 1x1 ID photos;
• one valid ID; and
• proof of disability: a Medical Certificate from a licensed doctor for a non-apparent disability; for an apparent disability, a Medical Certificate or a Certificate of Disability from a school, employer or organization.

The NCDA's guidelines say the first ID is free. In 2026 the NCDA approved a unified PWD ID system, still issued by local governments, under which IDs for permanent disabilities are valid for life and IDs for non-apparent disabilities are renewed (revalidated) every five years. Ask your PDAO how this applies to you.

What the Discount Covers

RA 9994 for seniors, and the PWD law as amended by RA 10754, give at least a 20% discount and exemption from VAT on goods and services for the holder's own use, including:

• medicines and some medical supplies;
• doctors' and dentists' fees, and diagnostic and laboratory fees;
• domestic air and sea fares, and land transport such as buses, jeepneys, taxis and trains;
• hotels, restaurants and recreation centers;
• admission to theaters, cinemas and similar venues; and
• funeral and burial services.

Show the ID when you pay. A passport or another ID that shows your age also works for senior discounts. The discount does not stack with a store's own promo: you get whichever is higher. A senior who is also a PWD uses one ID or the other for a purchase, not both.

Other Benefits for Seniors

• At least a 5% discount on water and electricity bills if the meters are in the senior's name and monthly use stays within the limits in RA 9994 (100 kilowatt-hours and 30 cubic meters).
• Free medical and dental services in government facilities, subject to DOH and PhilHealth rules.
• A social pension for poor (indigent) seniors, raised by RA 11916 to at least ₱1,000 a month. Ask your OSCA or the city or municipal social welfare office how to apply.
• Minimum wage earners who are seniors are exempt from income tax.

If a Store Refuses the Discount

Ask to speak with the manager and show the ID again. If they still refuse, note the store name, date, and the receipt, and report it to your OSCA or PDAO, to the DTI for goods and services, or to the agency in charge of the sector (for example, the LTFRB for public transport). See consumer complaints.