{
  "id": 5801530,
  "title": "Who should pay for the discount",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/05/who-should-pay-for-the-discount",
  "topic": "business",
  "section": "Business",
  "published": "2026-09-05T16:00:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Philippine Star Business",
    "slug": "philippine-star-business",
    "url": "https://www.philstar.com/business/2026/09/06/2554246/who-should-pay-discount"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "The Restaurant Owners of the Philippines (RestoPH) gathered with major restaurant owners to discuss pending legislation that could impact their industry. Led by David Sison, the group raised concerns about a House bill that would make it uneconomical for restaurants to offer promotions. Sison emphasized that promos are essential for low-income families to afford dining out, and increasing costs on them would ultimately lead to higher prices for consumers. He explained that the senior citizen discount mechanism shifted from a tax credit to a tax deduction in 2004, making it a cost that private enterprises must bear. According to Sison, for every P20 mandated discount, a restaurant only recovers about P5, with the remaining cost absorbed by the business and ultimately by every paying consumer. RestoPH warned that the restaurant industry is struggling due to high LPG costs, rising rent and utilities, which have led to reduced hiring and operating hours. The group urged legislators to restore the original funding for the senior citizen discount, rather than adding it without proper budget allocation. Sison questioned why restaurants are not subject to income ceilings like groceries, which have a 5% senior discount capped per week. He called for returning to the tax credit regime and returning RA 7432 to its original form, where businesses could claim the discount as a deduction from their gross income.",
  "summary": "Just a few days ago, the country’s biggest restaurant owners, including those representing leading fast food chains, gathered to discuss proposals in Congress that would adversely impact the industry.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}