Reveille
Beware of staples in your KFC meal
By Ramon J. Farolan
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 00:32:00 06/02/2008
Filed Under: Restaurants & catering, Senior Citizens
MANILA, Philippines - Senior Citizen Donna Alba of Green Heights Village in Parañaque City relates her experience at a KFC outlet in their community. After ordering their favorite value meal they discovered a staple wire embedded in the chicken that was served them. The attention of the manager was immediately called and with much embarrassment the fellow tried to explain that the staple may have been mixed in the bread crumbs, one of the ingredients used in the preparation of KFC products. After profuse apologies were extended, the meal was replaced and payment refunded.
Now if the staple had not been discovered in the nick of time, Ms Alba would have had a “hot, crispy, spicy” ... and wiry chicken for dinner, not to mention possible health complications, if the staple had lodged in some part of the body.
This is more a case of negligence rather than a breach of the Senior Citizen law, but residents of Parañaque may be interested to know that the Office of Senior Citizens Affairs (Osca) is headed by Mr. Pedrito Kapunan. Perhaps Mayor Florencio Bernabe Jr. may wish to have his sanitation and health inspectors look into operational procedures of restaurant facilities not just of KFC but also other establishments to ensure that the highest standards are observed. In some instances, insects have been found enjoying the meal even before the customer himself.
If this incident took place in the United States, a possible lawsuit may have already been filed against KFC for negligence.
The continuing obstinate attitude of KFC regarding the various conditions they have imposed on senior citizens reminds me of a recent conversation at a luncheon I attended hosted by the former Deputy Revenue Commissioner Tomas Toledo. It was one of the periodic gatherings of colleagues who served in the Department of Finance under Secretary Cesar E.A. Virata. (By the way, the group recently lost SSS Administrator Gilberto Teodoro, father of Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr.)
During the luncheon, Mr. Virata mentioned that he was part of a group negotiating with Japanese officials regarding aid programs for the Philippines. The Japanese were quite open to the possibilities but were adamant in imposing numerous conditions for the aid package. They wanted Japanese consultants, Japanese equipment, Japanese technicians, Japanese vehicles to be included in the project as part of the costs. In exasperation, Virata said to his colleagues: “Sige na lang. Let us just consider their conditions as Philippine aid to Japan!”
Perhaps KFC thinks they are providing aid to our senior citizens by granting us a 20-percent discount and therefore they have the right to impose their conditions for the grant of such assistance. They want us to eat our meals in their establishment for fear that someone—not a senior citizen—will enjoy the meal. They limit us to one meal per restaurant per day, as though we were just dying to eat their fried chicken three times a day, seven days of the week. They limit senior citizens to personal consumption worth P150. These restrictions are an insult to all senior citizens.
Let me state that the senior citizen discount does not come from the generosity of KFC. It is a manifestation of sympathy for elderly citizens from the Filipino people as expressed in Republic Act No. 9257, and the law does not impose any conditions as to where we eat our meals, how many times we have the same meal or how much we wish to spend for these meals. And unlike the Japanese aid program I just mentioned, we do not need to accept any conditions not provided for by our own laws.
In last week’s column I mentioned that the Department of Trade and Industry’s Office of Legal Affairs (DTI-OLA) came out with an opinion that the 20-percent discount must be given “irrespective of the classification of the transaction, i.e., drive-in, take-out or delivery.” The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) sent a letter to KFC to reconsider their “company policy” on take-outs. It added it would continue to “monitor” implementation of the law.
These complaints against KFC are longstanding but government agencies appear unwilling to decisively resolve the matter. It has been mostly talk and no action—a reflection of the quality of governance in our society. We have many laws but we suffer from poor implementation, and even poorer enforcement of these laws.
There is some support in government circles. Makati City Mayor Jejomar Binay wrote to say: “Let me add my voice in calling on all our fellow senior citizens to stand up for their rights so as to compel our government officials to pay close attention to their concerns and act swiftly to address them.”
It is time to confront the problem head-on. We can live without KFC. They can only suffer from diminishing patronage.
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With rising costs of fuel and food these days, it is important to ensure that our senior citizens are aware of other benefits under RA 9257 (The Expanded Senior Citizen Act).
The law authorizes the Department of Agriculture (DA) to provide special discounts to senior citizens for the purchase of basic necessities or prime agricultural commodities under its jurisdiction. These “Basic Necessities and Prime Commodities” are as follows:
1. Rice (except rice sold and retailed by the National Food Authority)
2. Food-grade corn and corn grits
3. Fresh fish and other marine products
4. Fresh chicken eggs
5. Fresh pork, beef and poultry meat
6. Fresh vegetables including root crops
7. Fresh fruits
8. Onion and garlic
Every senior citizen shall enjoy a special discount of 5 percent of the regular retail price of basic necessities and prime commodities listed above. The total amount of purchase should not exceed P650 per calendar week without carryover of the unused amount.
The senior citizen must present the senior citizen card and a purchase booklet issued by the Osca in his city or municipality. It is a good idea to visit your Osca to gather more information on these benefits.
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