Senate Minority Leader Aqulino "Koko" Pimentel III (Senate PRIB)

Saying he can "relate" to it, Senate Minority Leader Aqulino "Koko" Pimentel III, has hailed the Department of Health's (DOH) decision to do away with the purchase booklet requirement for senior citizens to avail discounts on medicines.

"Malaking tulong ito sa ating mga senior citizens (This is a huge help to our senior citizens)," Pimentel said in a statement. 

"As a senior citizen, relate ako diyan! Thumbs-up tayo sa aksyon ng DOH! (I can relate to that! I give the DOH's action thumbs up!)" said the 60-year-old Pimentel, who added that it is a well-received Christmas gift for over 9.2 million senior citizens in the country.

Pimentel emphasized the importance of ensuring access to affordable healthcare for senior citizens, who are often more vulnerable to health issues.

"Dati, napakahirap nilang mag-apply para sa discount, at kailangan pa nilang magdala ng maraming papeles. Ngayon, mas madali na para sa kanila na makuha ang mga gamot na kailangan nila," he noted.

(Back then, applying for discounts involved a lot of paperwork and was a complicated process. Now it's easier for them to access the medicines that they need.)

He also commended the DOH for taking steps to streamline the process and make it easier for senior citizens to access their benefits.

"Sana, patuloy na magkaroon ng mga pagbabago na makakatulong sa ating mga senior citizens," said the veteran senator from Mindanao.

(I hope that there will be more changes that will make the lives of senior citizens easier.)

Pimentel urged all Filipinos to support the DOH's initiative and ensure that senior citizens are able to access the healthcare they need.

Meanwhile, Pimentel also called on local government units (LGUs) to simplify the distribution of Christmas gifts to senior citizens, emphasizing their vulnerability and need for special consideration.