Revenue Code under review to cater to delivery riders

DAVAO City Revenue Code is now being reviewed by the City Council committee on trade, commerce, and industry after delivery riders petitioned to stop them from requiring a business permit for them to work.

"We are reviewing this ordinance whether or not we will still continue na i-require sila (to require them) or we will revoke or repeal this ordinance and make another category na mas fit sa ilahang industry (that is fitting for their industry)," Davao City Councilor Bernie Al-ag, Chairperson of the committee on trade, commerce, and industry, and labor and employment opportunities, said in a phone interview with SunStar Davao on February 13, 2023.

Al-ag said this concern should have been raised when the current Davao City Revenue Code was under review in 2021 when public hearings were being held. However, Al-ag said the riders claimed that they were not consulted during the review of the Revenue Code.

"Gisulti sa mga riders wala daw sila gi-consult ug wala gitan-aw ang kini nga law nga i-exempt sila (Riders said they were not consulted and the current code did not consider to exempt them [from getting a business permit])," he said.

He said the ordinance was amended in 2021 and was implemented in 2022. Under the current Revenue Code, delivery drivers are required to pay P2,700 for a business permit.

Al-ag said before getting a business permit, there are prerequisites that have to be met.

"Una dapat naa ka'y pwesto, unya wala mana sila'y pwesto, wala mana sila'y tindahan (First they should have a physical store, but they don't have one)," he said.

Al-ag said they already conducted a public hearing with delivery riders.

"I found out that gibutang sila sa category nga kinahanglan sila magkuha og (they were placed under a category where they are required to get a) business permit, but I also found out that we have an existing law that exempts certain businesses, especially microservices," he said.

He said delivery riders should also not be paying more than the professional tax receipt (PTR), which is intended for professional practitioners like lawyers or Professional Regulation Commission license holders.

"If you're a professional we only require you a PTR that is only P300 and then karun kung rider ka P2,700 ang ginabayaran (riders need to pay P2,700), I think there's a problem here nga nakita nako, so we really need to review," Al-ag said.

He said the initial recommendation of the committee after the public hearing is to make another category that will serve as a different permit that will be issued to individual service providers in the city.

"Mao ni akong ginahuna-huna karun nga (this is what we are considering now) instead of business permit. Bale isa ni siya kabayad per year, dapat lower siya sa ginabayaran sa mga professionals kasi I think it's unfair that a delivery rider gina-require og business permit (This will be an annual fee and it should be lower than what professionals are paying because it is unfair that we require delivery riders a business permit)," he said.

On January 19, 2023, the Freelance Delivery Rider, an organization of delivery riders in Davao City, raised the issue of the business permit to Councilor Jesus Joseph Zozobrado III.

"It's a big problem for all riders in the executive order. Many of us encountered financial scarcity regarding this kind of additional requirements working as a freelance rider, we have no business to sell, and we are under the company as partner service to provide good service to all Dabawenyos," the freelance delivery rider group said on their petition.

The office of Zozobrado endorsed the concern to City Council Committee on Trade, Commerce, and Industry. KSD