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CTA denies Duty Free appeal of tax refund ruling

THE Court of Tax Appeals (CTA) denied for lack of merit the appeal of Duty Free Philippines Corp. of an earlier ruling dismissing its P142.9-million tax refund claim.

In a three-page resolution dated Nov. 8, the court’s special first division reiterated that both Duty Free and the Bureau of Internal Revenue are public entities, with any disputes subject to the jurisdiction of government lawyers.

“Thus, Sections 66, 67, and 68, Chapter 14, Book IV of Executive Order (EO) No. 292, otherwise known as the Administrative Code of 1987, and the doctrinal pronouncement of the Supreme Court in the PSALM (Power Sector Assets and Liabilities Management Corp.) case interpreting the said provisions, apply,” the court ruled.

“Such being the case, the subject dispute or claim falls under the jurisdiction of the Secretary of Justice, and not of this Court,” it added.

The court on May 30 ruled that Duty Free is considered as an attached agency of the Department of Tourism under Republic Act 9593.

It also ruled that under EO 292, all disputes, claims and controversies between government agencies involving questions of law should be settled by the Secretary of Justice.

Under the EO the Office of the Solicitor General (OSG) is authorized to settle cases involving government offices to whom it acts as principal law office and cases involving both questions of law and fact. The Department of Justice will handle cases not falling under the OSG.

The court also ruled that it does not agree with the contention of Duty Free that the court can still entertain the case as it was filed before the Supreme Court promulgated the PSALM ruling.

The PSALM ruling found that under Presidential Decree No. 242, all disputes and claims solely between government agencies and offices must be settled by the Secretary of Justice, the Solicitor General or the Government Corporate Counsel depending on the issues and agencies involved.

The CTA said that the interpretation of the provisions of PD 242, which is now in EO 292, “constitutes as part thereof as of the date of its enactment, not at the date when the PSALM case was promulgated.

“Thus, at the onset of the instant case, this Court no longer has jurisdiction to entertain the same,” it said.

“Wherefore, premises considered, the instant Motion for Reconsideration is denied for lack of merit,” it added.

Duty Free filed its petition for review on March 15, 2017 over the Bureau of Internal Revenue’s alleged inaction on its claim for the refund of allegedly erroneously assessed and collected value-added tax for 2015.

The decision was written by Associate Justice Erlinda P. Uy and concurred in by Roman G. del Rosario. — Vann Marlo M. Villegas

DoLE commits to managing transition to greater automation

THE Department of Labor and Employment (DoLE) said it will work to help industries better manage the transition to increased automation, including “social dialogue” which could help mitigate employment disruptions accompanying the so-called fourth industrial revolution (4IR).

“The labor department has underscored the importance of developing and implementing labor and employment policies and programs based on sound research,” DoLE said in a statement Sunday.

DoLE recently held its 8th DOLE Research Conference, centered around “Shaping the Discourse on the Future of Decent Work.” At the conference 14 research papers were presented, from which DoLE concluded that automation presents opportunities and should not be seen solely as a potential job killer.

“How we deal with it, how we adapt to it, and how we harness its positive potential, will shape the future of work,” according to Labor Officer-in-Charge Assistant Secretary Dominique R. Tutay in the statement.

The conference was conducted by DoLE’s Institute for Labor Studies (ILS).

In June during the International Labor Organization (ILO) Conference, Labor Secretary Silvestre H. Bello III spoke of the need to upskill workers to make stay relevant during the 4IR.

“The main task at hand right now is to craft specific policy responses that affirm our human incomparability and assert the import of tripartism and social dialogue,” he said in his ILO speech. — Gillian M. Cortez

Act fast before the FAST Act interferes with US Passports

This article applies to US citizens, US nationals and their employers, the latter to ensure US Federal tax compliance. “Seriously Delinquent” tax debts can cause suspension, denial, or nonrenewal of US Passports.

The US passport is said to be one of the most powerful in the world. Its holders enjoy visa-free access or visa-on-arrival access to almost 200 countries. For an American who lives overseas, the US passport is even more important as it may be the only valid proof of identification in the host country. Furthermore, a US passport may be the only acceptable ID document when entering into any legal transactions, such as signing a lease agreement or an employment contract or opening a bank account.

However, what if this powerful passport were rendered useless, revoked or refused renewal due to tax compliance issues?

On Dec. 4, 2015, former President Barack Obama signed into law the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation (FAST) Act. The Act provides funds for Federal highways, highway safety and transit programs, and related needs. To help cover the costs involved, it added a new Internal Revenue Code (IRC) section (Section 7345) that allows the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) to work with the State Department to revoke, deny, or limit the passport of any taxpayer with a “seriously delinquent tax debt.”

This procedure has raised an estimated $1 billion so far — considerably more than the anticipated $400 million. Given this level of success, we can expect the IRS to continue using passport suspensions, denials, and non-renewals to motivate taxpayers to settle tax compliance issues.

WHO ARE THE FAST ACT’S TARGETS?
The operative phrase here is “seriously delinquent tax debt.” Under the Act and the IRS’s implementing guidelines, this refers to an individual’s unpaid, legally enforceable Federal tax liability of at least $52,000, including interest and penalties, as formally assessed by the IRS. Also, IRS must have already filed a notice of lien, issued a levy on the taxpayer’s assets, or the taxpayer must have either exhausted administrative appeal rights or allowed them to lapse.

So, when is a tax debt not considered seriously delinquent? The FAST Act clarifies that debts that are being paid in a timely manner in accordance with an IRS-approved offer in compromise or installment agreement are not considered seriously delinquent. Tax cases for which a due process hearing has been filed or is pending or that are subject to a claim that can result in a zero balance are also not included. IRS rules also have certain compassionate provisions that exempt taxpayers who have filed for innocent spouse relief or for personnel who are currently serving in a combat zone.

IRS rules also allow for discretionary exemption (which means IRS may or may not allow an exemption) in cases involving financial hardship or identity theft, for taxpayers in federally-designated disaster zones, bankrupt individuals, or for deceased taxpayers.

WHAT HAPPENS IF A TAXPAYER’S PASSPORT IS AT RISK?
If the taxpayer’s debt is seriously delinquent and none of the exceptions or discretionary exclusions apply, the IRS will send a certification that the taxpayer’s passport is subject to suspension or non-renewal to the Treasury Secretary who then forwards that certification to the Secretary of State. Concurrently, the IRS will notify the taxpayer of this action at his or her last known address.

To contest a certification, a taxpayer may file suit in a US district court or the US Tax court.

Given the expense and time involved in litigation, a recent IRS Notice may provide a more attractive option for taxpayers who act fast. If the State Department receives a passport application from a certified delinquent taxpayer, it will now inform the taxpayer and hold the application for 90 calendar days instead of immediately rejecting it. This provides time for the taxpayer to contact the IRS and request a decertification by convincing the IRS that the certification is in error, by settling the tax liabilities in full, or by entering into an offer in compromise or installment payment agreement with the IRS.

Affected taxpayers should bear in mind that the $52,000 threshold for 2019 is not difficult to breach. Under the general statute of limitations for federal taxes, the IRS usually has just three years from the due date of a return or, if later, from the actual filing date to assess additional taxes. However, this limit becomes six years in cases where there is a substantial understatement of income (i.e., omission of over 25% of gross income). The statute is unlimited in cases where the understatement is fraudulent or where the taxpayer has failed to file. The statute of limitations is also unlimited if the taxpayer fails to include certain forms related to foreign assets when required. Since the time frame to calculate liabilities can run from three to an unlimited number of years, the tax plus interest and penalties can easily add up to $52,000 or more.

ACT FAST TO PROTECT YOUR US PASSPORT
Anyone who receives a notice from the IRS or State Department of a seriously delinquent tax debt or who is certified for passport denial or limitation must act quickly. Affected US passport holders who have been identified as delinquent taxpayers should immediately consult a tax advisor and resolve any tax compliance issues before the FAST Act takes away their passport.

It should be noted that an application to renew an expiring US passport can be submitted up to nine months before its expiration date. Passport holders who have any inkling of a pending tax problem should file their renewal as early as possible to give themselves and their advisor time to work out a solution.

This article is for general information only and is not a substitute for professional advice where the facts and circumstances warrant. Any tax advice contained herein may be insufficient for US penalty protection. The views and opinion expressed above are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of SGV & Co.

 

Jocelyn M. Magaway is a tax senior director and IRS enrolled agent of SGV & Co.

PHL set for best SEA Games finish

By Michael Angelo S. Murillo
Senior Reporter

THE PHILIPPINES is now near surpassing its best finish in the Southeast Asian Games as it continued to add to its gold medal haul on Sunday.

As of 6 p.m. yesterday, the country has already accumulated 104 gold medals in the ongoing biennial regional sporting meet, just nine away from the 113 gold mints the Philippines got in 2005 where it finished first overall.

The 101 golds the host already had actually were more than the 91 the country earned in 1991 in the Games held here as well.

Among the gold medal sources yesterday were softball, surfing, skateboarding and baseball.

The Blu Girls, the country’s women’s national softball team, picked up their 10th SEA Games gold by way of a sweep to continue their unbeaten run in the biennial meet. They routed Indonesia, 8-0, in the final.

The team was powered by Cheska Altomonte, Garie Blando, Mary Ann Antoleh Hao, Ezra Jalandoni, Lyka Basa and Kikay Palma, among others. They have won SEA Games golds in 1979, 1981, 1987, 1991, 1997, 2005, 2007, 2011, 2015.

“Of all the softball titles by the Blu Girls this is the easiest and the sweetest,” said team manager Randy Dizer after their latest feat. “It’s because we played in our home court, that’s the biggest thing.”

Hero surfer Roger Casugay, meanwhile, won the gold in the men’s longboarding category.

Mr. Casugay created news at the weekend after he helped a rival surfer who had trouble in the waves of Monalisa Point beach in La Union after his surfer’s leash broke.

The Filipino surfer has gotten a lot of praise for showing the traits that embody true sportsmanship and is set to be recognized as well for his commendable deed when athletes are presented and awarded in Malacañang after the Games.

In skateboarding, after two runner-up finishes in the Games previously — Game of S.K.A.T.E. and skateboard street — Christiana Means finally had a golden breakthrough, winning in the women’s skateboard park category.

Ms. Means had total points of 11.20, ahead of Indonesians Nyimas Cinta (10.76) and Neepa Pramesti (8.10), who took silver and bronze, respectively.

The men’s baseball team, meanwhile, gifted the Philippines another gold after defeating Thailand, 15-2, in the finals on Sunday in Pampanga.

RECORDS BROKEN
Meanwhile, records were broken in SEA Games athletics on Dec. 7.

Filipino-foreigner female track athlete Kristina Knotts and Olympics-bound pole vaulter Ernest John Obiena rewrote SEA Games history with their impressive showing in athletics action that happened at the New Clark City Oval Stadium in Capas, Tarlac.

Running in lane No. 4, Ms. Knott accelerated in the homestretch and pulled away in ruling the women’s 200m event in a record-breaking time of 23.01 seconds.

Her time broke her own record of 23.07 set earlier in the day in the qualifiers and 18-year-old SEAG record of 23.30 seconds set by Thai Supavadee Khawpeag in the 2001 Malaysia Games.

It also surpassed the national record set by Philippine athletics legend Lydia de Vega of 23.50 in a meet held in Walnut, California, 33 years ago.

Making no secret of her Olympic aspirations, Ms. Knott likewise came within striking distance of the qualifying time of 22.80 seconds for the 2020 Tokyo Games.

Mr. Obiena, for his part, handily clinched his pet event in clearing 5.45 meters for the gold, which also went down as a new SEA Games record.

It surpassed the previous mark of 5.35 meters of dethroned Thai champion Porranot Purahong, who was relegated to the silver (5.20) while Malaysia’s Iskandar Alwi (5.00) took the bronze.

After sealing the gold at 5.45 meters, Mr. Obiena, whose national record is 5.81 meters, attempted at 5:55 but failed thrice, after which he waved at the stands to the ovation of the appreciative hometown crowd of around 6,000.

Gilas battles Indonesia in SEA Games semifinals

AFTER SWEEPING all three of its preliminary matches in the 30th Southeast Asian Games, the Philippine men’s national basketball team takes its campaign to a higher level as it battles Indonesia in the semifinals today at the Mall of Asia Arena.

Went 3-0 in group play, Gilas Pilipinas took the top spot in Group A to set up a Final Four encounter with Group B second-seed Indonesia, coached by former Philippines coach Rajko Toroman.

The Philippines, which has had a stranglehold on the SEA Games event, winning gold 17 times out of 19 in the biennial regional sporting meet, as expected has been dominant in the ongoing edition of the Games.

The Tim Cone-coached All-Philippine Basketball Association squad defeated Singapore, Vietnam and Myanmar in group play with an average winning margin of 54 points.

Gilas played last Myanmar on Dec. 7, winning, 136-67.

Matthew Wright of the Phoenix Pulse Fuel Masters led the Gilas juggernaut over the Burmese squad, finishing with a game-high 29 points, 24 coming from beyond the arc.

Vic Manuel of the Alaska Aces had 24 points and 11 rebounds while Troy Rosario of TNT KaTropa added 16 points and nine boards.

Marcio Lassiter of the San Miguel Beermen, meanwhile, had 15 points, all coming from three-point land to go along with five assists.

“We wanted to find balance in the game and I think we found it as the game progressed,” said Mr. Cone following their victory over Myanmar, in a game that saw five-time PBA most valuable player June Mar Fajardo and Stanley Pringle not play.

Looking to deal the Philippines its first defeat in the tournament is Indonesia, which finished second in Group B with a 2-1 record.

It is coming off a 100-71 victory over Cambodia in its last game on Dec. 7.

Andakara Prastawa led the Indonesians in the win with 14 points.

The winner between the Philippines and Indonesia takes on the victor in the other semifinal pairing of Thailand and Vietnam in the finals set for Tuesday, Dec. 10. — Michael Angelo S. Murillo

Columbian gets Go and Adams; Suerte to Blackwater

THE COLUMBIAN Dyip selected a pair of big men in the annual Philippine Basketball Association rookie draft held on Sunday at the Robinson’s Place Manila.

Columbian first picked Ateneo center Isaac Go in the special Gilas Pilipinas draft then selected Filipino-American Roosevelt Adams in the regular draft.

Mr. Go, who helped the Blue Eagles to a three-peat in the University Athletic Association of the Philippines before leaving, will be on loan to the Gilas program in preparation for the 2023 FIBA World Cup but has his rights with Columbian.

Selected second in the five-player Gilas draft was University of the East’s Rey Suerte (Blackwater Elite), followed by Ateneo’s Matt Nieto (NLEX Road Warriors), San Sebastian’s Allyn Bulanadi (Alaska Aces) and Ateneo’s Mike Nieto (Rain or Shine Elasto Painters).

Picked second in the regular draft after Mr. Adams was Fil-Am Maurice Shaw (Blackwater). Mike Ayonayon (NLEX), Barkley Ebona (Alaska) and Adrian Wong (Rain or Shine ) complete the top five.

The Elasto Painters then selected Clint Doliguez and Prince Rivero for the sixth and seventh picks, respectively, after which Northport Batang Pier picked Sean Manganti (eighth), Aris Dionisio at ninth to Magnolia Hotshots Pambansang Manok, and Arvin Tolentino at 10th to the Barangay Ginebra San Miguel Kings.

Completing the first round of the regular draft were Kib Montalbo at 11th to the TNT KaTropa and Christian Balagasay at 12th to Columbian. — Michael Angelo S. Murillo

SEAG a great learning ground towards Olympics — Razer

By Michael Angelo S. Murillo
Senior Reporter

IN THE 30th Southeast Asian Games, esports is a debuting discipline, a great development for the continued growth of the sport and platform to take it to the next stage, said Razer, the official SEA Games esports sponsor.

Speaking to members of media in a briefing following the start of the esports events in the ongoing edition of the biennial regional sporting meet on Dec. 5, David Tse, global esports director for Razer, said they are excited to be part of the esports competition in the SEA Games, seeing how it provides a solid step to taking the sport further all the way possibly to the Olympics.

“Since being founded in 2005, esports has been in Razer’s DNA. We sponsor a lot of games around the world — US, China, Europe and Asia-Pacific — but that is the professional part of the world, or professionals. But esport needs to be taken to the next stage, the world sporting stage,” said Mr. Tse, whose group has worked its way to becoming a leading lifestyle brand for gamers with its high-performance gaming hardware, software and systems.

“Right now, based on research, esports has 400 million people watching and we believe it’s going to continue to grow,” he added.

The Razer official went on to say that having esports in the SEA Games provides a new dimension to the tremendous growth the sport has been experiencing, which could only lead to even bigger things.

“Southeast Asia is absolutely a great learning ground,” said Mr. Tse.

“Even the Olympics is studying esports athletes — what their regimen is, how they train — to make sure they understand these before they put it in the Olympic Games. So having it in the SEA Games is definitely the first step to the bigger sporting world stage. For me, this is a growth of esports in a different arena,” he added.

Being groundbreaking in the SEA Games, Mr. Tse said mounting such an event presented its challenges, something they were able to overcome with a lot of help coming from the different esports federations in the region, including from host the Philippines.

“It was challenging, of course, nothing is easy in esports. Here we are trying to bring together the traditional sports and esports,” said Mr. Tse.

“There are many protocol infrastructure processes that needed to be understood and come together. But without the help of all the federations this would not be possible. Razer is a sponsor of this but the federations are really working on the ground,” the Razer official further underscored.

Mr. Tse said they will be continuously working with these federations after the Games to ensure that the gains made in the SEA Games would be sustained and built on moving forward.

In the 30th SEA Games, six games are being played, namely, DOTA 2, Starcraft 2, Hearthstone, Tekken 7, Mobile Legends: Bang Bang and Arena of Valor.

Esports action is happening at the FilOil Flying V Centre in San Juan City until tomorrow, Dec. 10.

Eighth successful title defense for Ancajas

INTERNATIONAL Boxing Federation (IBF) super flyweight champion Jerwin “Pretty Boy” Ancajas of the Philippines made it an eighth successful title defense after he defeated Chilean challenger Miguel Gonzalez by technical knockout in the sixth round of their fight in Puebla, Mexico, on Sunday (Manila time).

A rescheduled fight and against a new opponent, Mr. Ancajas, 27, hardly showed any grappling for form as he dominated Mr. Gonzalez at the onset.

The Davao native took control of the fight in the early goings, leading to the sixth round where he eventually put a stop to the fight.

With Mr. Gonzalez proving to be overmatched, the referee made a move to wave off the fight at the 1:53 mark of the sixth round of the scheduled 12-rounder.

The win was the eighth for Mr. Ancajas since winning the IBF title in 2016 over Puerto Rican McJoe Arroyo here in Manila via unanimous decision.

The victory pushed Mr. Ancajas’ record to 32-1-22 with 22 knockouts while Mr. Gonzalez dropped to 31-3.

Mr. Ancajas was supposedly to fight Jonathan Rodriguez of Mexico in November in California but the fight was shelved after the latter failed to get a visa in time for the fight.

The Filipino stayed in the United States after the cancellation to continue his training along with his team. — Michael Angelo S. Murillo

Starting anew

Eli Manning has had an extremely productive career. Since being chosen first overall in the 2004 draft, he has quarterbacked the Giants to 116 regular-season victories and, more importantly, to two successful Super Bowl runs in which he earned Most Valuable Player awards. He has nothing left to prove, as all and sundry will attest — except, that is, to himself. Today, he will start for the first time since being benched in Week 3, and he aims to show that he still belongs in the National Football League. That he will be trekking to Lincoln Financial Field exactly a year to the day he last claimed a win serves as added motivation.

Manning is 38; make that an old 38 in the face of modern-day offenses. Yet, he doesn’t consider himself a candidate for the rocking chair. He accepted his demotion earlier this year, but with reluctance, and he firmly believes he still deserves to be front and center, holding the cowhide and determining the outcomes of set-tos. The Giants don’t, and they’re leaning on him today only because rookie QB Daniel Jones needs to convalesce from an ankle sprain. And they’re bent on getting the latter back on the field as soon as they can. Never mind that they’ve lost their last eight outings.

The Giants aren’t looking back. To be sure, neither is Manning. He’s in the last year of his contract with them, but he refuses to say he won’t be returning next season, and if in another uniform. “You never want to make decisions about the future while you’re living in the present,” he argued. Meanwhile, he’s keen on using his latest opportunity as an audition. He’ll be handicapped, and not just because of his age; in attempting to exceed his pedestrian numbers from his two previous appearances this season, he will be without tight ends Evan Engram and Rhett Ellison.

Then again, Manning seems to work best as an underdog. He has a long history of silencing critics by drawing from his unshakable confidence. He’ll look to do so again today. Whether or not he manages to live up to his heightened expectations is anybody’s guess. What will be clear from the outset is this: If he fails, it won’t be for lack of trying.

 

Anthony L. Cuaycong has been writing Courtside since BusinessWorld introduced a Sports section in 1994. He is a consultant on strategic planning, operations and Human Resources management, corporate communications, and business development.

Makati halts permits to POGO shops

ONE of the Philippines’ central business districts has stopped giving permits to establishments that cater to workers of offshore gaming operators as it tries to curb rising criminality including prostitution in the city.

“We would no longer accept new applications for Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGO) service providers and crack down hard against illegal activities that are catering to POGOs and their employees within Makati,” Mayor Mar-Len Abigail S. Binay said.

Increased demand for housing and workstations in Makati from foreign workers of POGOs — many of them Chinese — has led to a property boom.

The mayor cited “overheating” in the local property sector, where the growth in residential and commercial leasing market has become unsustainable.

In the past two months, the local government shut down two businesses that were used as prostitution dens, and one unsanitary restaurant and catering company, all of which were ran by illegal POGO service providers.

Police also seized P2.5 billion worth of drugs during a raid of an apartment being rented by a Chinese national.

Ms. Binay said the moratorium on business permits was aligned with the government’s thrust to stop illegal activities related to offshore gaming operators.

In August, the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (Pagcor) stopped issuing new licenses to POGOs cue to national security and economic concerns.

Pagcor Chairwoman and Chief Executive Officer Andrea D. Domingo said the moratorium would also prevent the country from being the “catch basin” of fleeing operators after the ban on online gaming in Cambodia.

The Finance department has ordered the Bureau of Internal Revenue to close down online gaming operators that have failed to pay taxes.

The tax agency has closed down three POGO service providers and collected P1.2 billion in withholding taxes since the start of the crackdown in September. The service providers later reopened after paying taxes.

The House ways and means committee earlier approved a bill that seeks to impose a 5% tax on offshore gaming companies. The tax will replace the 2% gross revenue tax on Pagcor licensees.

The bill also increases to 25% the tax on foreign POGO employees’ salaries and allowances from 15%.

On Nov. 29, President Rodrigo R. Duterte gave POGOs three days to fix their tax liabilities.

There are 60 accredited online gaming operators in the country with more than 87,000 employees, according to Pagcor. — Genshen L. Espedido

Gov’t expects to beat anti-poverty target for 2022

THE government of President Rodrigo R. Duterte expects to beat its anti-poverty goal of 14% by 2022 as reforms such as universal health care help more poor people, the Finance department said.

“That’s certainly possible,” Finance Secretary Carlos G. Dominguez III told reporters when asked if the poverty incident could be even better than the target.

The poverty incidence dropped to 16.6% in 2018 from the revised 23.3% in 2015, according to the Philippine Statistics Authority.

“We are cutting down the poverty rate by 2.2 percentage points a year, which means that we have enough ammunition to get that poverty rate down further in the future,” Finance Undersecretary Gil S. Beltran told reporters on Friday.

He said several laws have been passed that would further bring down the poverty level.

“Reforms have been put in place by President Duterte to improve the lives of all Filipinos,” Mr. Beltran said, citing tax reform, infrastructure spending, rice tariffication, free college education and cash assistance to poor households.

“These economic reforms have clearly resulted in more money in the pockets of the Filipino people, while reducing inflation and creating more jobs,” he said in a Viber group message.

The government said Filipinos within the poverty threshold stood at 17.6 million in 2018 from 23.5 million in 2015. Poverty incidence among Filipino families also declined to 12.1% in 2018 from 2015’s 17.9%.

Mr. Beltran, who is also the department’s chief economist, said more laws would help the poverty rate to go down further, including the national ID system, which will give the poor more access to financial services.

The Rice Tariffication law has also brought down the poverty rate because of lower rice prices, Mr. Beltran said.

The government will also offer cash assistance, low-interest loans and insurance products to rice farmers affected by plummeting farmgate prices.

The per capita poverty threshold last year was P2,145.36 a month compared with P1,890.44 in 2015. The monthly poverty threshold for a family of five was P10,726.79 in 2018 compared with P9,452.18 in 2015. — Beatrice M. Laforga

Measures seeking to improve education quality filed at House

LAWMAKERS have proposed separate measures to improve the quality of education in the country.

Biñan Rep. Marlyn B. Alonte filed a bill that seeks to lessen the non-teaching workload of teachers.

Her House Bill 5562 provides that qualified administrative personnel will take on non-classroom teaching functions so that teachers can focus on teaching and professional advancement.

Meanwhile, Party-list Rep. Jocelyn P. Tulfo called for an “alternative learning solution” to address the reading challenges of students.

“Reading comprehension is a particularly difficult challenge because of the intense poverty most public school elementary and high school students face everyday,” she said. “Most elementary school graduates are non-readers,” she added.

The congresswoman said students who can barely read should be placed under a special alternative learning system (ALS) “intervention curriculum.”

The Department of Education must hire more teachers with special training on students with reading challenges, Ms. Tulfo said.

The Philippines was at the bottom of 79 countries in terms of reading, Science and Mathematics, according to the 2018 results of the Programme for International Student Assessment. — Genshen L. Espedido

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