Tulabut: Tidbit

Tuesday, August 23, 2011

ANGELES GOVERNMENT EXTENSION. There are new offices of the Angeles City Government being put up at the Robinsons Mall near Abacan River. I saw some workers rounding up finishing touches, which tells me that it's gonna open soon.

Mayor Edgardo Pamintuan is on the right track in bringing the government closer to the people. And since people do love to go to the malls, it is more practical to be opening doors for them right inside the mall where people would be convenient.

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What is good about this office is that the City Government is not being charged for the use of the space, as it was offered for free by the Robinsons Management. That's commendable and I hope other malls would follow suit.

Our good friend and City Information Officer Deo Sambilay, who is just doing great favors for the Pamintuan Administration by supplying media vital info (whenever and wherever they are needed), said the satellite office will have front-liners such as the local civil registrar, the employment services office, business permits and licenses divisions.
The office will be opening soon and I am pretty sure it would also help boost some sales for the mall. That's symbiotic. That's partnership. That's making government work.

NO TO VAT ON TOLL. There is a proposal to impose 12 percent VAT on toll fees. And people are opposed to the plan by the BIR. Why is that so?

The very basis for the imposition appears to be vague. BIR is citing Republic Act 7716 for the planned levy. But the very authors of this law - former Congressman Renato Diaz who is now chair of Center for Strategic Studies, and Senator Ralph Recto - are saying that said law did not expand VAT on toll fees.

Diaz said he would have agreed to the new tax if it were in the law. He says that BIR is implementing "taxation by interpretation and not by legislation" as he tries to find a provision in the law that allows for the VAT on toll fees. The law only provides that VAT could be expanded on utilities such as gas and water but not on expressways, says Diaz.

The proposal by BIR (after 17 years of the VAT Law's enactment) will affect about 500,000 motorists daily that ply various expressways.

Ultimately, this will be passed on the consumers like those who take buses to and from their destinations, thus, additional economic burden for millions of people.

AIR ASIA PHILIPPINES. There are talks that the issuance of this airline's permit to fly in and out of Clark is being stalled at the Civil Aeronautics Board. The airline has decided to come to Clark in response to calls for airline companies to come to the former US air base, but is this the way it should be treated with its multimillion dollar investments?

It is certainly not the CIAC that is opposing to the airline's application.

Mr. Chichos Luciano, in fact, is totally supportive of their plans (as well as that of other airlines like Lucio Tan's Airphil Express who just signed a contract with CIAC).

DMIA and Clark are open to all airlines that want to mount flights. They must be accorded incentives for doing so. But to give them a hard time getting permits is counter-productive. It also runs counter to the observation by no less than President Aquino himself that Clark indeed is the next premier gateway of the country.

Allowing other airlines to mount flights in Clark is in the spirit of free enterprise, it is setting up competition that would bring air fares down.

That will be good for our people. That is serving national interests.

PR SAVVY. Congressman Carmelo Lazatin's Kabahagi Ako program, which is aimed at building new classrooms and repairing dilapidated ones is scoring big in the hearts and minds of the people of Mabalacat, Magalang and Angeles City.

Credit should partly belong to the lawmaker's chief of staff IC Calaguas who is but an effective and silent worker. IC is clearly an asset to the good congressman, drafting programs that really make Cong. Tarzan really looks good. That's PR savvy.

I have yet to see an equivalent of IC among workhorses of local politicians. She dons that smile even at the most adversarial times. She knows her job well and she is the kind of handler who should be emulated by those in the PR job - considerate, reasonable, judicious, and an action guy.

DAVIDSON WON. Here's one for the books: A single vote win for former San Joaquin barangay captain Davidson David. Yes folks, the Municipal Trial Court - after recounting votes - has ruled that David is the duly elected village chief in last year's elections.

The ruling nullified the proclamation of David's closest rival Rafael (Pie) Pascual made by the Barangay Board of Canvassers.

After the recount, the Court deducted 23 votes from Pascual's 25-point margin over Davidson in October. Then, the Court ordered that 3 ballots should be counted in favor of the latter as they were also the subject of protest by David.

When the smoke cleared, Davidson's total votes were 688 while Pascual had 687. Just like the buzzer beater in basketball, it's like hearing "Davidson 3 points!" to score a victory.