A sample digital Digital Senior Citizen ID A report released by Philstar.com on May 20, 2026, stated that the National Commission of Senior Citizens is encouraging government agencies, banks, financial institutions, and private businesses to fully recognize the digital National Senior Citizens ID (NSCID) as a legitimate form of identification for elderly Filipinos. The commission emphasized that senior citizens using the digital ID must continue to receive all privileges guaranteed under the law, including the 20% discount, exemption from value-added tax (VAT), and other benefits intended for older citizens. According to the NCSC, establishments and offices should improve awareness regarding the acceptance of the digital NSCID to avoid inconvenience among senior citizens. The agency also pointed out that failure to ho...
The Philippines and Vietnam have locked in a one-year rice supply agreement covering 1.5 million metric tons, as the two countries used the sidelines of the 48th ASEAN Summit to deepen an agricultural partnership seen as critical to stabilizing domestic food prices amid rising inflation and geopolitical uncertainty. President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. met Thursday with newly appointed Vietnamese Prime Minister Le Minh Hung on the margins of the summit in Cebu, where the leaders also marked the 50th anniversary of bilateral relations and discussed ways to expand trade, tourism and broader economic cooperation. Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. said the agreement guarantees uninterrupted rice deliveries from Vietnam, the Philippines’ primary grain supplier, through April 2027, with pricing set at $450 per metric ton for the widely traded DT8 rice variety. “Securing import volumes until next April is crucial amid geopolitical uncertainties and climate risks,” Tiu Laurel said, a...