Probe into tax of employees’ voluntary contributions slated

THE House of Representatives is set to look into a directive from the Bureau of Internal Revenue taxing voluntary contributions to SSS, GSIS, Pag-IBIG and PhilHealth in excess of what’s mandated under the law.

The investigation will be initiated by the House Committee on Ways and Means after some lawmakers claimed that Revenue Memorandum Circular (RMC) 27-2011, as amended by RMC 53-2011, is “anti-poor and in violation of Section 32 of the Tax Code, which exempts employees' contributions from taxation, be it voluntary or mandatory.”

Online shopping safety tips out

THE Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) is cautioning consumers purchasing various goods and services online.

“Do not be deceived by unbelievable offers. If the offer seems too good to be true, then probably, it is not true,” the DTI stressed in Monday’s advisory, adding that to validate offers, would-be buyers should contact the website or the merchant. “Look also for the DTI sales permit number, which is issued to duly-registered businesses conducting local sales promotion open to the consuming public.”

Labor info systems to be available online

SIX new information systems and subsystems will go online this year, courtesy of the Department of Labor and Employment (Dole).

These include the foreign labor operations; enhanced labor standards enforcement monitoring; registry of establishments information; case docket and monitoring (phase II); human resource information; and the virtual integrated system (phase I).

P1.9B allotted for fisheries program

THE Department of Agriculture has allocated P1.9 billion to implement an integrated, pro-poor and community-based fisheries and aquaculture program, which aims “to lift small fisherfolk families from abject poverty.”

3.2% employment growth noted

THE Bureau of Labor and Employment Statistics (Bles) reported Sunday a 3.2-percent full year employment growth for 2011, equivalent to 1.156 million in new employment generated.

“Quality of employment also remained positive with a robust growth of 6.3 percent in full-time employment, equivalent to 794,000 employed persons; and a 4.6 percent increase or 911,000 employed persons in salary employment,” Bles records showed.

DOST commits to 5 development programs

THE Department of Science and Technology (DOST) will develop and introduce appropriate technologies to create growth in the countryside such as world-class technology-based products, food processing technologies and super farms.

DOST Secretary Mario Montejo, in his 2011 report furnished Sun.Star, said this is one of the agency’s five-point development programs in line with the Aquino administration’s development agenda.

Bill on life imprisonment for illegal loggers okayed

THE House of Representatives has approved on third and final reading House Bill 5485, which seeks to impose life imprisonment on those convicted of illegal logging.

Farmers warned on new pest

THE Bureau of Plant Industry is warning farmers against a new rice pest that has infested farms in various rice-producing regions.

Revised maritime courses on

THE Maritime Training Council has revised and developed several maritime training courses which shall be pilot-tested for refinement and then approved before end of this year’s first quarter.

These include able seafarer deck training, able engine, security awareness training, security training for seafarers with designated security duties, advance training for oil tanker cargo operations, basic training for oil and chemical tanker cargo operations and electro-technical officer.

Tesda to train electronics workers

THE Technical Education and Skills Development Authority allotted P50 million to train some 9,000 beneficiaries in the semi-conductor and electronics sectors “to create a pool of qualified, globally-competitive and job-ready workforce”.

Of the target beneficiaries, 3,045 will come from existing workers who will be trained for productivity and technology enhancement while 6,250 will come from the new entrants, who will be trained as production workers.

BOC gets P192 million to upgrade ICT

THE Department of Budget and Management has released around P192.6-million to immediately address the information and communications technology (ICT) needs of the Bureau of Customs, including the upgrade and rehabilitation of its ICT system for revenue generation.

Western Visayas inflation down 4.7%

WESTERN Visayas posted a slower inflation of 4.7 percent in December from the 5.1-percent performance the month before mostly due to decreases in the heavily weighted food and non-alcoholic beverages, as well as alcoholic beverages and tobacco indexes.

P108-M OFW loans okayed

THE Land Bank of the Philippines already approved the applications of some 177 overseas Filipino worker (OFW) beneficiaries worth P108,054,000 under the government’s P2-billion national reintegration program.

A yearend report from the National Reintegration Center for OFWs showed that of the borrowers coming from various regions including Western Visayas, most were overseas Filipino workers from the Middle East and that of the 177 borrower-beneficiaries, 52 were females.

Tax exemptions on imported books clarified

THE Department of Finance has clarified duty exemptions on imported books both for personal and commercial use under the accord on the importation of educational, scientific and cultural materials or the Florence Agreement.

Department Order (DO) 57-2011 particularly exempted books for ‘personal use’ from any extensive documentary requirements but such importations “should be cleared and released through the required declaration of goods as provided under existing rules and regulations.”

Braille-based exams to be offered

THE Civil Service Commission (CSC) is set to offer a Braille-based and computer-based test for visually impaired individuals within the first semester this year following the signing of a memorandum of agreement (MOA) with the Resources for the Blind Inc. (RBI).

The CSC-RBI partnership aims to secure the latter’s technical cooperation in translating the career service examination (CSE) to Braille and in setting up computers that can interface with computer-literate but visually-impaired examinees.

‘Motor vehicle user’s charge solely for road maintenance’

VEHICLE owners were assured that the motor vehicle user’s charge (MVUC) they paid as registration fee to the Land Transportation Office will be strictly used to serve its purpose as per Republic Act 8794.

The law imposes an MVUC on owners of all types of motor vehicles, whether for hire or for private use, including government motor vehicles, depending on the classification and/or vehicle model.

Waive of gov’t fees, charges for 1st-time jobseekers eyed

A SECTORAL lawmaker is pushing for the waiving of government fees and charges on fresh graduates who are also first-time jobseekers “as leverage assistance and as an investment to the emerging labor force.”

AVE party-list Representative Eulogio Magsaysay, in House Bill 5565, seeks to prohibit government agencies and instrumentalities, including government-owned and controlled corporations and local government units, from collecting fees or charges from fresh graduates seeking employment.

P438B allotted for sustained economic growth

AROUND P438.8 billion was allotted from the 2012 budget to ensure rapid, inclusive and sustainable growth with focus on five priority areas for job generation and economic development.

The Department of Budget and Management (DBM), in Wednesday’s factsheet, said the P438.8-billion economic sector budget, which comprises 24.2 percent of the P1.816 trillion 2012 budget, will support tourism development, agriculture and fisheries development as well as general infrastructure on top of the established growth drivers like semiconductor, electronics and the business process outsourcing.

PhilHealth eyes new process to accredit hospitals

HOSPITALS licensed by the Department of Health shall be deemed accredited by the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation as Centers of Safety and shall no longer be subjected to pre-accreditation surveys.

But these hospitals will need to sign a performance commitment contract with PhilHealth to become part of the National Health Insurance Program and receive reimbursements, explained PhilHealth president Dr. Eduardo Banzon, adding the plan is one way of improving the way the agency engages with health care providers such as hospitals.

DOTC inspects 45 buses, drivers

THE Department of Transportation and Communications (DTOC) conducted strict checks of buses departing from major terminals to ensure the safety and convenience of travelers returning from their holiday breaks.

GSIS pays P500B members’ claims, benefits in 2011: exec

THE Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) said Tuesday it paid around P50 billion in claims and benefits to its members and pensioners in 2011, up 18.4 percent from the P42.2 billion spent in 2010.

GSIS president and general manager Robert Vergara added that the monthly pension benefit, which accounted for half of the total claims, reached P24 billion or a 12.8 percent increase over the P21.3-billion level the year before. “GSIS has more than 200,000 active old-aged pensioners and disburses an average of P1.7 billion in pension benefit every month.”

Streamlined OFW processing eyed

STREAMLINING the documentation and processing systems to provide more efficient services delivery to overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) is one of the seven priorities of the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) under its new head.

Department of Labor and Employment (Dole) Undersecretary for labor relations Hans Leo Cacdac, who assumed as POEA administrator last Monday, stressed that “the beginning of the new year carries renewed strength and determination to pursue our roles…with focus on seven priority areas under my stewardship.”

BOI posts P368.9-B investments in 2011

THE Board of Investments (BOI) reported Tuesday a P368.9-billion investments for 2011, up 35 percent in terms of the number of projects approved and 22 percent in growth value compared to 2010’s P302 billion.

Investment commitments also breached the year’s target with a total of 332 projects compared to 246 in 2010 and are expected to boost employment opportunities by 67,211 jobs once operational or almost double the 2010’s 36,751 jobs.

P90M for agri scholars

AROUND P90.3 million was allotted to support scholars in agriculture, forestry, fisheries and veterinary medicine education to boost the competitiveness of the agriculture sector.

Contractors tasked to complete information in project billboards

CONTRACTORS undertaking projects of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) are directed to complete the data in the project billboards for the information and guidance of the community.

The directive as per Department Order 37 also tasked DPWH regional directors, project directors and district engineers “to monitor the compliance of these contractors; otherwise, they shall also be held accountable.”

Safety of imported goods boosted

THE Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Bureau of Product Standards (BPS) has launched an improved import commodity clearance (ICC) mark to ensure quality and safety on imported consumer products.

OSY high school diplomas through e-learning pushed

THE Department of Education was urged to use e-learning models to help out-of-school youths earn high school diplomas to improve their chances of advancing to college or getting decent jobs.

“Education leaders should start looking and using technology to address some of the most pressing problems facing the education system, foremost of which is the high rate of school-aged children dropping out of school,” Cagayan Representative Jack Enrile said in a statement to Sun.Star Monday.

Agrarian office hails ruling vs undue conversion of prime lands

THE Department of Agrarian (DAR) Reform has welcomed a recent Department of Justice (DOJ) opinion that will serve as a “remedial measure against excessive land conversion and exemption that threatens self-sustainability and food security.”

Public Works office tasked to fast-track projects bidding

DEPARTMENT of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) provincial and regional officials were directed to fast-track the bidding of projects in their respective areas of responsibilities so that these projects are ready to be implemented in the first quarter of 2012.

Respite for typhoon-affected banks

THE Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) has granted regulatory relief measures to thrift, rural and cooperative banks in various provinces and regions, including Capiz in Western Visayas, for them to assist and ease the financial burden of bank customers adversely affected by Tropical Storm Sendong.