Starbucks lifted the cap it imposed on the 20-percent discount senior citizens and persons with disability (PWDs) are legally entitled to following a House inquiry ordered by Speaker Martin Romualdez.
Angela Cole, who identified herself as operations manager of Starbucks Philippines, told the House committee on ways and means the signage restricting the legally-mandated discount to “one food item” and “one beverage” was a “mistake.”
She said all Starbucks stores across the country have been ordered to “immediate(ly) remove the erroneous signages.”
Cole said the new policy, which took effect Jan. 15, 2024, “was not properly worded.”
ACT Teachers party-list Rep. France Castro rebuked Starbucks, saying it would not have rectified its error had Romualdez not ordered the inquiry.
Romualdez, the principal author of the law expanding the benefits for seniors and PWDs, ordered the inquiry upon receiving complaints on the failure of establishments to comply with relevant laws.
One such complaint was about the new Starbucks’ policy limiting the application of the 20 percent discount to one drink and one food item per senior citizen customer.
Romualdez also took cognizance of a case filed by the Pasig Prosecutor’s Office against a five-star hotel in the city which failed to grant an elderly customer the mandated discount.
Election lawyer Romulo Macalintal, who is the complainant’s counsel, identified the respondent establishment in the course of the hearing as Marco Polo Ortigas-Manila in Pasig City.
“We are expecting arrest warrants to be issued today (Wednesday) against responsible hotel officers,” Macalintal said.
House ways and means committee chairman Albay Rep. Joey Salceda, for his part, asked Rustan’s Coffee Corp., the local Starbucks licensee, to address its mistake “substantially by making a buy-one-take-one offer to senior citizens and PWDs, like buy one croissant, take one beverage.”
“You violated the law. Saying sorry is not enough. We will consider initiating prosecution,” he told Cole, who promised to communicate Salceda’s request to her principals.
Salceda said he received a similar complaint against bakery products chain Goldilocks, which is allegedly limiting the 20-percent discount “to one slice for every cake.”
“We will look into this as well,” he said.
In the Marco Polo Hotel-Pasig case, Salceda said hotels should extend the 20-percent discounts to their senior citizen and PWD customers, whether their prices are promotional or regular rates.
“The application of these laws should be universal,” he said.
Macalintal said hotels should grant the discount when their customers check in even if their accommodation was booked through third-party websites.
“The customer is not a party to whatever contract the booking site and the hotel have,” he said.