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Senate approves bill setting up regulatory regime for LPG sector

THE SENATE on Monday approved on third and final reading the measure seeking to regulate the liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) industry. With 21 affirmative votes and zero negatives and abstentions, the chamber passed Senate Bill No. 1955 which sets the regulatory framework for the LPG industry.

Senator Sherwin T. Gatchalian, the bill’s author, said in a statement: “Ang layon natin dito ay siguruhing may pamantayan ang industriya upang maprotektahan ang kapakanan ng mga mamimili. (The objective of this bill is to serve as the basis for protecting consumer rights),” he said in a statement.

The bill seeks to establish the LPG Cylinder Improvement Program which will eventually remove unsafe cylinders from circulation and replace them with new ones to minimize the risk of explosions and fires for users of LPG, a leading cooking fuel.

It seeks to institutionalize the Cylinder Exchange and Swapping program to allow consumers to purchase refills by presenting any brand of cylinder. — Vann Marlo M. Villegas

India invited to invest in PHL tech sector

THE PHILIPPINES has invited India to invest in its technology sector, with the Department of Finance (DoF) touting the potential of an industrial park in Batangas to serve as a possible regional base for Indian companies.

During the virtual launch of the KIST Park in Batangas, Finance Secretary Carlos G. Dominguez III invited Indian investors to tap the Philippine workforce in establishing their base within the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, where barriers are falling due to recent trade agreements.

“We can tap and complement our respective advantages. The Philippines has a highly educated workforce that can provide intellectual capital to locator industries in the KIST Park. This is an opportunity for India to create an ecosystem for its leading startups to establish their presence in the Philippines. Our country can even serve as India’s ASEAN regional base,” Mr. Dominguez said during the launch on Monday.

He said India, through its Ambassador Shambhu S. Kumaran, has expressed interest in helping the Philippines with digitalization.

Without citing details, Mr. Dominguez also said in his speech that India is also willing to fund the establishment of small information technology centers in Philippine schools and universities.

“We are natural partners. We are both English-speaking democracies with aligned trade and development interests. Both our countries will benefit from this partnership through enhanced knowledge sharing, increased investments, and more job opportunities for our two peoples,” he added.

He said the country needs more innovative projects similar to KIST, located within the Batangas State University campus, to drive economic growth as well as make the economy more competitive and inclusive.

The impending signing of the proposed Corporate Recovery and Tax Incentives for Enterprises Act (CREATE) will also further boost innovation, according to Mr. Dominguez, as it provides an additional deduction of 100% on costs incurred for research and development expenses, which businesses creating new products are entitled to.

“CREATE will open up numerous doors of opportunity for the Philippines and India to collaborate in the knowledge economy,” he said.

The DoF has said that India has pledged aid to the Philippines in setting up its national ID system and broadband networks.

Asked to comment, Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce (Phil.), Inc. Chairman Rakesh Daryanani said that the organization remains bullish on investment prospects for the country, with more Indian firms selecting the Philippines as an investment destination.

“I think that’s true not only for tech startups but… for many industries. The Philippines has an amazing and a very good English-speaking workforce, and India as a country is very strong when it comes to technology so certainly, we see a lot of opportunities for Indian companies to set up shop in the Philippines and use local talent in rolling out different technology,” Mr. Daryanani said by phone.

However, he said investors find it difficult to obtain visas, which he cited as a significant hurdle.

“What we see as a hindrance to making that happen is the visa policy which makes it very difficult to get visas. Currently, the processes really need to be streamlined and improved,” he said. — Beatrice M. Laforga

Greenfield Dev’t facing competition complaint over ISP choice

THE Philippine Competition Commission (PCC) is pursuing a competition complaint against Greenfield Development Corp. after the property developer required residents of its Mandaluyong condominium to sign up for its affiliated internet service provider (ISP).

Greenfield prevents residents of Twin Oaks Place from using competing fixed-line internet services other than its wholly-owned Leopard Connectivity Business Solutions, Inc.

Greenfield is alleged to have violated the Philippine Competition Act by abusing its dominant position after barring a competing ISP from providing services to residents of the property, PCC said in a statement Monday.

Section 15 of the law “prohibits exploitative and exclusionary conduct that substantially lessens competition.”

The commission said residents complained that they are unable to use an alternative provider while claiming higher prices and less reliable services from Leopard.

Leopard charges P2,699 per month for 20 megabits per second (Mbps), a price the commission said could have qualified users for 50-75 Mbps plans from other ISPs. The company’s 40 Mbps internet coverage costs P3,500 each month, or around the same cost for 100-150 Mbps from other ISPs, it added.

“As more Filipinos shift to working and learning from home under the new normal, property developers competing for the market of digital connectivity should not resort to unduly foreclosing competition and restricting choices for consumers, but compete on fair terms,” PCC Enforcement Director Orlando P. Polinar said.

“After all, the competition law does not prevent condominiums from offering their own ISPs, provided other options are made available to residents.”

Firms found to have abused their dominant position could be fined up to P110 million, PCC Chairman Arsenio M. Balisacan said.

PCC in the first abuse of dominance case in the country levied a P27.11-million fine against Urban Deca Homes Manila Condominium Corp. and parent company 8990 Holdings, Inc. in 2019 after the housing developer required unit owners and tenants to sign up with a single ISP. 

The commission filed its statement of objection on Greenfield and Leopard on Dec. 29, 2020. — Jenina P. Ibañez

Tax breaks for freelancers approved by House committee

THE House Committee on Ways and Means said it approved the tax break clauses of a bill laying down the rights of freelance workers.

In a statement Monday, the committee’s chairman, Representative Jose Ma. Clemente S. Salceda, said the committee approved the tax provisions of House Bill No. 1527, which if passed will go into the books as the Freelancers Protection Act.

The bill sets out to define the rights of freelance workers in order to minimize their abuse by parties that engage their services.

The tax breaks apply to freelancers earning less than P1 million a year, granting them a rate of 2% of gross receipts beyond the first P250,000.

“My bill wants to ensure that there are legal rights, protections, and benefits to the more than two million freelance workers in the country. We saw the need to help them start afresh with their tax liabilities, so that they will be able to begin under new contracts with clean tax records,” he said.

The overall bill requires that freelance work be covered by a contract, as well as hazard pay in the event the freelancer needs to be sent to dangerous areas. It also seeks to make them eligible for night shift differential pay rates.

The bill calls for freelancers to be paid within 15 days of the agreed date set down in the contract. — Gillian M. Cortez

Efficient spending seen needed to plug infrastructure gap

ADDRESSING the Philippines’ infrastructure shortcomings will require more efficient åment of rigid institutional processes to clear up the project pipeline, ANZ Research said.

“Based on past trends, the Philippines lags in efficient public investment. We are hopeful though that the presidential elections next year and the current slow growth trajectory will push the government to improve the efficacy of the investment management process,” ANZ Research Chief Economist for Southeast Asia and India Sanjay Mathur and economist Kanika Bhatnagar said in a note.

ANZ Research compared the Philippine infrastructure gap to those of India and Indonesia, which have inherent “institutional rigidities” obstructing public investment.

“What is less understood is that these shortcomings can be overcome not just by spending more on infrastructure but also making spending more efficient so that delays and cost overruns are minimized,” they said.

In 2020, infrastructure spending declined 22.7% to P681 billion, according to preliminary data from the Department of Budget and Management. Actual spending that year exceeded the downgraded target by 12%.

This year, the government hopes to spend P1.169 trillion on infrastructure, or about 5.9% of the economy. Another P1.154 trillion is targeted for the sector in 2022.

Economic managers are hoping the infrastructure push will accelerate the recovery through job creation.

“This is an opportune time to hike infrastructure spending. Large output gaps and low interest rates imply that such spending will not crowd out private spending and may even support it,” Mr. Mathur and Ms. Bhatnagar said.

“The challenge is not only to increase infrastructure investment but also its efficacy so that trend GDP (gross domestic product) growth improves,” they added.

In 2020, the Philippine economy contracted 9.5%. Economic managers expect it to bounce back this year with growth of between 6.5% and 7.5%. — Luz Wendy T. Noble

Corporate income taxation in a nutshell

Every year, the January to April period marks the busy season for auditors and accountants alike. This is due to mandatory compliance requirements such as business permit renewal, audit of financial statements, and filing of the annual income tax return (ITR).

For taxpayers following the taxable year ending Dec. 31, the impending April 15 deadline for the filing and payment of the annual ITR is roughly two months away. Considering this, here are some guidelines on relevant corporate income tax (CIT) matters:

RECONCILIATION OF ACCOUNTING INCOME AND TAXABLE INCOME
In determining the income tax due or overpayment, we must first understand that certain income and expense items may differ in recognition between our books (“accounting income”) vs. our ITR (“taxable income”). These differences are classified as either “permanent differences” or “temporary differences.”

Permanent differences are those arising from income or expense, which are considered under accounting income, but would never be considered under taxable income, and vice versa. On the other hand, temporary differences are those arising from income or expense on which the period or timing of recognition under accounting income is different from that of taxable income.

Below are some common reconciling items between the accounting income and taxable income:

1. Permanent differences

a. Income subjected to final withholding tax. Some passive income (e.g., interest income, dividend income) which have been subjected to final withholding tax shall no longer form part of the taxable income for income tax purposes.

b. Non-deductible interest expense. Interest expense shall be reduced by 33% of interest income subjected to final withholding tax. On the other hand, interest expense incurred on loans between related parties under Section 36(b) of the Tax Code, as amended, is not deductible for income tax purposes.

c. Unsupported bad debts expense. Under Revenue Regulations (RR) No. 25-2002, for taxpayers to validly claim bad debts or receivables written off: (1) there must be an existing valid and legally demandable indebtedness, (2) the same must be connected with the taxpayer’s business, (3) it must not be a transaction entered into between related parties, (4) it must be actually charged off the books as of end of the taxable year, and (5) it must be ascertained to be worthless and uncollectible as of the end of the year.

Further, as mentioned in a 1996 Supreme Court (SC) decision, the following steps are outlined to be undertaken by the taxpayer to prove that he exerted diligent efforts to collect the debts: (1) sending of statement of accounts, (2) sending of collection letters, (3) giving the account to a lawyer for collection, and (3) filing a collection case in court.

Should the abovementioned not be complied with, the bad debts or receivables written off shall not be deductible for income tax purposes.

d. Excess of entertainment, amusement, and recreation (EAR) expenses over the limit. Pursuant to RR No. 10-2002, EAR expenses are only deductible up to 0.5% and 1% of net sales for those engaged in sale of goods and services, respectively.

For taxpayers engaged in both sale of goods and services, the actual EAR expenses shall first be apportioned between the percentage of sales of goods and services. After allocating the actual EAR expenses, the EAR expenses limit shall be considered separately for the sale of goods and services.

Any excess of the actual EAR expenses over the limit shall not be deductible for income tax purposes.

e. Interests and penalties paid to the government for income tax purposes. Interests incurred for late or non-payment of taxes are deductible, while surcharges and compromise penalties are not deductible.

2. Temporary differences

a. Unrealized foreign exchange gains and losses. For income tax purposes, foreign exchange gains and losses arising only from closed and completed transactions (e.g., collection of receivables, settlement of loans) should be considered as deductible expenses.

b. Differences in recognition of lease expenses. For accounting purposes, under the Philippine Financial Reporting Standards (PFRS) 16, except for those classified as low-value assets or short-term leases, lessees shall recognize a right-of-use asset (ROUA) and a lease liability. The ROUA is amortized periodically, while the lease liability is recorded at present value and an interest expense is recognized periodically.

On the other hand, for income tax purposes, the deductible lease should be the amount actually paid or payable during the period based on the lease contract.

c. Amortization of the excess of pension trust contributions over normal cost. For income tax purposes, pension contributions in excess of the normal costs, which represent the pension liability applicable to such a year, as determined in accordance with the pension plan, shall be allowed as a deduction through amortization for 10 years.

GENERAL REQUISITES FOR DEDUCTIBILITY OF EXPENSES
Under existing regulations, in general, all ordinary and necessary expenses, or those which are directly related to the conduct of trade or business of the taxpayer, are allowed as deductions for income tax purposes. To validly claim these expenses, the taxpayer shall substantiate the same with sufficient evidence such as official receipts or other adequate records: (1) the amount being deducted, and (2) the direct relation of the expense to the taxpayer’s business.

Moreover, to avoid disallowance of expenses and imposition of penalties in case of BIR assessment, taxpayers must ensure that deductions claimed in the ITR have been subjected to the applicable withholding tax.

ACCRUAL OF INCOME OR EXPENSES
Guidelines for taxpayers using the accrual method were provided in a 2007 SC decision. For income tax purposes, accrual of income and expense is permitted when the all-events test has been met. This test requires (1) the fixing of a right to income or liability to pay, and (2) the availability of the reasonable accurate determination of such income or liability.

The all-events test does not demand that the amount of income or liability be known absolutely, only that a taxpayer has at his disposal the information necessary to compute the amount with reasonable accuracy.

On the other hand, “provision” of income and expense is subject to a contingency (i.e., conditions or happening of a future event), and hence should not yet be reported for income tax purposes.

It is important to differentiate accruals from provisions for the proper timing of recognition of income and expenses in the ITR. If left unchecked, the improper timing or recognition in the ITR may lead to additional taxes and penalties when assessed by the BIR.

CHANGE IN THE INCOME TAX RATE FROM CREATE
As mentioned in last week’s article, once the Corporate Recovery and Tax Incentives for Enterprises (CREATE) Bill is signed into law, the CIT rate will be reduced to 25% for domestic and resident foreign corporations. Furthermore, domestic corporations with net taxable income not exceeding P5,000,000 and with total assets not exceeding P100 million shall be subject to a lower CIT rate of 20%.

Under the bill, the effectivity period of the above retroacts to July 1, 2020. For purposes of computation of CIT due, the income and expenses of the taxpayer shall be deemed to have been earned and spent equally for each month for the fiscal year. Hence, the income and expenses shall be prorated depending on the number of months within the fiscal year of the taxpayer.

Due to the ever-changing tax laws and regulations, it is often a daunting task for us taxpayers to keep up. Nonetheless, we hope that the changes brought about by the current and future tax reforms will help ease our burden, especially during these trying times.

Let’s Talk Tax is a weekly newspaper column of P&A Grant Thornton that aims to keep the public informed of various developments in taxation. This article is not intended to be a substitute for competent professional advice.

 

Ajeth A. Calabano is a senior-in charge of the Tax Advisory & Compliance division of P&A Grant Thornton, the Philippine member firm of Grant Thornton International Ltd.

pagrantthornton@ph.gt.com

Gov’t delays reopening of cinemas in metro

By Kyle Aristophere T. Atienza and Vann Marlo M. Villegas, Reporters

THE GOVERNMENT has moved the reopening of movie houses in Metro Manila to March 1, according to the presidential palace, after mayors who warned of coronavirus risks opposed the plan.

Cinemas might be allowed to reopen next month subject to the approval of local governments, presidential spokesman Herminio “Harry” L. Roque, Jr. told a televised news briefing on Monday.

He earlier said an inter-agency task force (IATF) made up of Cabinet officials had allowed movie theaters to reopen in areas under a general lockdown on Feb. 15.

“The Inter-Agency Task Force and your mayors are not in a cockfight,” Mr. Roque said in Filipino. “We agree that the economy should gradually be reopened because more people now are going hungry than those who get sick or die due to coronavirus.”

Philippine cinemas would be allowed to operate with up to half their capacity in areas under a general lockdown, Trade Secretary Ramon M. Lopez said on Sunday.

He said movie theaters could fill half their seats in these areas under a general community quarantine and up to 75% of seats in areas under a modified general quarantine.

The government recently allowed cinemas and other leisure establishments such as arcades, cultural centers, theme parks and tourist attractions to resume operations in areas under a general lockdown.

Earlier in the day, Parañaque Mayor Edwin L. Olivarez said the task force’s “economic team” had allowed local governments in the capital region to defer the implementation of the new policy.

Caloocan City Mayor Oscar G. Malapitan and Marikina City Mayor Marcelino R. Teodoro said allowing people to gather inside cinemas could lead to a fresh surge in infections. Mr. Teodoro said movie theaters in his city would remain shut.

Meanwhile, Manila City has offered free swab tests to cinema workers including janitors, security guards, tellers, ushers, porters, ticket tellers and snack bar attendants.

“I won’t allow cinemas to open until the workers get tested,” Manila Mayor Francisco M. Domagoso said in a statement in Filipino. “We will extend assistance. Those who want to work, you have to follow these simple guidelines.”

“The decision of the IATF to ease certain restrictions such as the reopening of cinemas has no health or medical basis,” Gene A. Nisperos, a medical doctor and co-founder of health advocacy Second OpinionPH, said in a Facebook Messenger chat.

The task force’s new policy is “subordinated to economic reasons, which is wrong because there is still a pandemic,” he said.

Mr. Nisperos said the public remains unprotected and left on their own. “Simply following minimum health standards amidst this kind of arbitrariness is not enough and will put people at risk.”

He said health authorities, not the military and police, should lead the government’s pandemic response.

CASE TALLY
The Department of Health (DoH) reported 1,685 coronavirus infections on Monday, bringing the total to 550,860. The death toll rose by two to 11,517, while recoveries increased by 14 to 511,755, it said in a bulletin.

There were 27,588 active cases, 86.6% of which were mild, 6.9% did not show symptoms, 2.8% were severe and 0.86% were moderate.

DoH said one duplicate had been removed from the tally, while two recovered cases were reclassified as deaths. Six laboratories failed to submit their data on Feb. 14.

More than 7.8 million Filipinos have been tested for the coronavirus as of Feb. 13, according to DoH’s tracker website.

Meanwhile, Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario S. Vergeire said one of the five people infected with a more contagious coronavirus variant had a link to the cluster of cases at the Metro Rail Transit-3 (MRT-3).

The 46-year-old woman from Pasay City tested positive for the disease on Jan. 25 and was under home quarantine. Her son worked at the MRT-3, she told an online news briefing.

Another was a 20-year-old woman from Mountain Province in northern Philippines who tested positive on Jan. 12 .

A 37 year-old-man from Bukidnon also tested positive for the new strain last month. He spent some time in Metro Manila before testing positive, Ms. Vergeire said.

A 25 year-old woman from Dasmariñas, Cavite also tested positive for the new variant on Jan. 31 and had been isolated.

A 47-year-old woman from Las Piñas City was also positive for the new strain. The returning overseas Filipino from Morocco arrived Jan. 12,. She was under home quarantine, she said.

The five were among the six people whom the Health department said last week were still being verified.

Ms. Vergeire said the sixth case was a 49 year-old man from Rizal province. It was unknown whether he is a local or a migrant worker.

There were now 44 confirmed cases infected with the new variant.

Meanwhile, the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) said metro mayors support reopening of the economy “gradually.”

“There should be a calibration of both the health and the economic teams with the local government units and all affected sectors,” MMDA Chairman Benhur Abalos told a news briefing. “We are one with the economic team in the reopening of business activities but we cannot do it hastily.”

US compensation may be used versus pandemic — palace

By Kyle Aristophere T. Atienza

THE PRESIDENTIAL palace on Monday said the Philippines could use US compensation in exchange for a visiting forces agreement (VFA) to fight the coronavirus and boost social services.

“This is pushing for the national interest of Filipinos,” presidential spokesman Herminio “Harry” L. Roque, Jr. told an online news briefing. “Why can’t we ask for payment?”

He said seeking payment is no different from the fact that Americans pay Turkey and Pakistan in exchange for the presence of US troops there.

“We want just compensation for it,” Mr. Roque said. “Not change, not dilapidated equipment,” he added, referring to donated military equipment from the US in the past years..

The Philippines was getting $3.9 billion from the US compared with Pakistan’s $16 billion, he said, citing a study from think tank Stimson Center. “We should get something similar or close to that amount but definitely, not the amount we’re currently getting.”

President Rodrigo R. Duterte last week said Washington should pay if it wanted to keep its visiting forces agreement (VFA) with the Philippines. Mr. Duterte suspended the military pact, which lays down the rules for the deployment of troops for war games, last year.

“You want the visiting forces agreement done? Well, you have to pay,” he said in a speech before Filipinos at a military airbase.

Vice President Maria Leonor G. Robredo likened the President’s remark to “extortion.” Senator Panfilo M. Lacson, who heads the Senate national defense committee, said Philippine officials should be “diplomatic and statesmanlike” in dealing with its former colonizer.

The Philippine military largely favors the VFA so Mr. Duterte “can’t suddenly stop the process without good reason,” Herman Joseph S. Kraft, an associate professor at the University of the Philippines (UP) Political Science department, said in a Viber message.

Given the President’s “subservience to China,” the statement was a show for the Chinese leadership “that he himself  is not in favor of this negotiation,” he said.  “But he just can’t call it off.”

Antonio Contreras, a political science professor at the De La Salle University, said the country’s problem with terrorism would force it to keep its military alliance with the US.

“The US can’t let us go just like that,” he said via Zoom Meetings. “We are strategic to their fight against terrorism. And the Philippines, being concerned so much about terrorism, also won’t let go easily.”

Police, AMLC set up ‘Fusion Center’ vs terrorist-financing

THE PHILIPPINE police and Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) have agreed to set up an office where both can share information in the fight against money laundering and terrorism-financing.

Under a memo, the agencies set up a so-called Fusion Center inside the national police headquarters in Quezon City that will house intelligence reports on terrorist financing.

The center will allow both agencies to maximize their resources and strengthen their feedback mechanism through the quick exchange of data.

“Our agencies have a shared goal — to ensure our countries’ safety and stability for the welfare of our people,” AMLC Executive Director Mel Georgie B. Racela said during signing ceremonies on Monday streamed on Facebook.

The fusion center allows the police to share with the council the names of persons of interest and other documents. The AMLC will also share information that may help police in their fight against crime.

National police chief Debold M. Sinas said that the Fusion Center had been completed and was ready to be occupied. 

Suspicious transaction reports related to terrorist financing surged in the past quarter after an updated Philippine law against terror took effect, the AMLC said this month.

The reports submitted by financial institutions to the agency also surged almost 14 times last year to 7,230 from 524 in 2018, it said in a study.

The study supported previous findings that the Philippines is a destination country for illicit flows as the bulk of remittance-related suspicious transaction reports in terms of value were funds going into the country, the AMLC said.

International remittances accounted for 91% of the total remittance-related suspicious transaction reports.

It said it expects financial institutions to file more reports after the government tagged more local threat groups as domestic terrorists in December.

Nearly half of the filed reports related to terrorism and terrorism-financing were remittances — P579.31 million international inward remittances and P29.92 million within and sent elsewhere. — Bianca Angelica D. Añago

Labor group to seek P100 wage increase across the board

A LABOR group on Monday said it would seek a P100 wage increase across the board next week amid a coronavirus pandemic.

In a statement, Defend Jobs Philippines said it would file the “emergency wage relief” petition at the National Wages Productivity Commission (NWPC) on February 22 as basic prices continue to rise.

The Labor department earlier said a wage hike could be bad for businesses also reeling from the pandemic.

Defend Jobs spokesman Lloyd Magsoy said the wage increase would help millions of workers affected by the health crisis.

“Saving us means that the Duterte government’s economic managers, especially the Labor department, must implement a P100 wage hike across the country; generate more jobs; provide enough aid for all; subsidize micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs); and control the prices in our local market,” he said in the statement. — GMC

Senate OK’s bill suspending SSS premium increase

THE SENATE on Monday approved on second reading a measure allowing President Rodrigo R. Duterte to defer an increase in Social Security System (SSS) contributions this year amid a coronavirus pandemic.

Senators passed Senate Bill 2027, which will empower the President to suspend a plan to increase SSS premiums by a percentage point.

Under the bill, Mr. Duterte may defer the increase upon the recommendation of the Social Security Commission, in consultation with stakeholders.

Under the Social Security Act, the monthly salary contribution rate will increase to 13% from 12%.

Mr. Duterte in September extended the state of calamity for another year. The House of Representatives approved a similar bill on third and final reading on Feb. 1. — Vann Marlo M. Villegas

Nationwide round-up (02/15/21)

Proposed OFW department will streamline functions, services

THE proposed department for overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) will streamline functions of existing agencies and improve the delivery of services, according to Cabinet Secretary Karlo B. Nograles. Mr. Nograles said the measure creating the Department of Overseas Filipino (DOFil), which has been certified as urgent by President Rodrigo R. Duterte, will not be “totally creating a new agency.” Speaking at a Senate Labor committee hearing on Monday, he said, “Instead it will be an amalgamation of all key offices dealing with migrant, migrant workers protection, into a single entity focused on that mandate… It will avoid overlapping functions, it will consolidate the budgetary allocations to a single public entity for a better and more efficient service to overseas Filipinos and their families.” Apart from the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA), other existing OFW-related agencies are the Commission on Filipinos Overseas under the Office of the President and the International Labor Affairs Bureau under the Department of Labor and Employment (DoLE). “Yung budget po nila (Their budgets) will all be subsumed under the new department,” he said.

‘MORE EFFICIENT’
National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) Undersecretary Rosemarie G. Edillon said they recognize that the new department could come up with “more efficient delivery of services.” NEDA proposed that the department’s mandate include the formulation, planning, and coordination of reintegration and social service programs for returning OFWs. Labor Secretary Silvestre H. Bello III, for his part, said his department supports the creation of the DOFil but requested to retain the International Labor Affairs Bureau under DoLE as it provides “technical and administrative advice” to the secretary on labor issues that may affect domestic policies. Senator Emmanuel Joel J. Villanueva, chair of the labor committee, said the proposed bill addresses red tape, regulation, recruitment, repatriation, and reintegration. “We are duty bound to push for DOFil not to encourage migration but to address the plight of our kababayan abroad especially those coming home because of the pandemic,” he said. The House of Representatives in March last year approved the bill for the creation of the DOFil. — Vann Marlo M. Villegas

Duterte now willing to get coronavirus vaccine in public

PRESIDENT RODRIGO R. DUTERTE

PRESIDENT Rodrigo R. Duterte has expressed willingness to get vaccinated in public against the coronavirus due to “public clamor,” according to the presidential palace. Presidential Spokesperson Herminio “Harry” L. Roque, Jr. said the President will get inoculated publicly after initially announcing his preference to have it done privately. “The President has said ‘Okay, if you want me to and there’s public clamor,’ he said he will,” Mr. Roque said in a televised press briefing Monday. “That decision, of course, recognizes the fact that Filipinos are waiting for a signal on whether or not they should get vaccinated,” he said in mixed English and Filipino. Mr. Roque earlier said the President will get the vaccine shots in private because he wanted to get injected in the buttocks. The spokesman refused to disclose which brand Mr. Duterte will receive, but he said the President is consistent with earlier remarks that he preferred the shots developed by either Russia’s Gamaleya National Center of Epidemiology and Microbiology or China’s Sinovac BioTech Ltd. Government officials, including local chiefs, have been encouraged to get vaccinated in public to help address vaccine hesitancy among Filipinos. — Kyle Aristophere T. Atienza

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