PH courts have almost 1M unresolved cases
Other Relevant Tax Updates:
- TAX & BUSINESS-RELATED NEW [NOVEMBER 7-12]
- HIGHLIGHTS OF CREATE MORE LAW
I. TAX & BUSINESS-RELATED NEWS [NOVEMBER 7 – 12]
- Villar questions DHSUD’s plan to build condominium
- PDIC asset sales hit
- UnionBank, ATRAM to merge trust subsidiaries
- PBA dome to rise in Chavit’s Pasig property?
- New hydro facility to rise in Northern Samar
- PH courts have almost 1M unresolved cases
- PBBM inks CREATE MORE bill into law to spur more investments
- Pangilinan-led MPH acquires 27th hospital
- PLDT, Accenture Philippines team up to build digital factory
- To entice more clients, Security Bank is playing a new game
- Malacañang orders Cagayan Special Economic Zone: Adhere to POGO ban
- Dumaguete pushed as UNESCO creative city
- Puregold acquires Puremart stores
- Activists urge private schools association to rethink affiliation with NTF-ELCAC
- US investment firm taking over Belo Medical
- Hotel101 rides on Trump victory, eyes all 50 US states
- P5M worth of counterfeit milk for senior citizens, diabetics seized in Rizal
- Passage of ‘game changer’ EBET Act lauded by business group
- Topline, peza signs deal to power ecozones
- Office vacancy rate hits 20-year high
- BSP, CDA finalize joint circular on e-money issuers, payment operators
- SC didn’t order PhilHealth fund return, senator says
- COA orders PhilHealth to return P6.35 million in employee cash benefits from 2014
- CIBI names Pia Arellano as new CEO
- Record Number of Philippine Universities Listed in 2025 THE World University Rankings
II. HIGHLIGHTS OF CREATE MORE LAW
The President has signed the Republic Act (R.A.) No. 12066 or the Corporate Recovery and Tax Incentives for Enterprises to Maximize Opportunities for Reinvigorating the Economy (CREATE MORE) Act on November 11, 2024.
The law was passed to address ambiguities and expand coverage of VAT and duty incentive availment, to improve the ease of doing business, reduce the cost of doing business, enhance tax incentive competitiveness and respond to emerging global developments, and establish clear rules for transitioning Registered Business Enterprises (RBEs).
Among the salient highlights include:
- Liberalizes qualification of goods and services for VAT and duty incentives by shifting from “directly and exclusively used” to “directly attributable” and explicitly including items in BIR’s negative list (BIR RR No. 3-2023)
- Extends VAT-exemption on importation and VAT-zero rating on local purchases
- Allows High-Value Domestic Market Enterprises, with investment capital exceeding Php 15B and are import-substituting, or with annual export sales of at least USD 100M, to avail of VAT incentives
- Extends the period of availment of VAT and duty incentives to the entire registration period as an RBEs
- Simplifies and increases transparency in the VAT & Excise Tax Refund Process
- Introduces the Registered Business Enterprise Local Tax (RBELT) of not more than 2% of gross income, which is in lieu of all local taxes, fees and charges, for RBEs under the Income Tax Holiday and Enhanced Deduction Regime
- Exempts RBEs under the 5% Special Corporate Income Tax (SCIT) Rate from all national and local taxes, local fees and charges
- Reduces Corporate Income Tax (CIT) rate from 25% to 20% for RBEs under the Enhanced Deduction Regime
- Expands tax deductions to support tourism and energy-intensive sectors by increasing additional deduction on power expense from 50% to 100% and allowing additional 50% deduction for tourism reinvestment and trade missions expense
- Provides flexibility and option for RBEs to forego the ITH incentive and directly avail of SCIT or EDR at the start of commercial operations
- Provides longer incentive periods for qualified RBEs from a maximum of 17 years to a maximum of 27 years
Villar questions DHSUD’s plan to build condominium [Inquirer.Net, November 12, 2024]
“Why are you prioritizing the 3.2 million housing [units] for the middle class when your mandate is to help the poor and the homeless?” Villar asked during the Senate’s deliberations on the DHSUD’s proposed budget for 2025.
https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/2003954/villar-questions-dhsuds-plan-to-build-condominium
PDIC asset sales hit [The Manila Times, November 12, 2024]
THE Philippine Deposit Insurance Corp. (PDIC) reported collecting P162 million in the first half (H1) of 2024 through the sale of assets from closed banks and corporate properties.
https://www.manilatimes.net/2024/11/09/business/top-business/pdic-asset-sales-hit/2000809
UnionBank, ATRAM to merge trust subsidiaries [BusinessWorld, November 12, 2024]
The transaction will result in the merger of UBIMTC with ATRAM Trust Corp. (ATC), with the latter as the surviving entity.
PBA dome to rise in Chavit’s Pasig property? [The Philippine Star, November 12, 2024]
Singson dangled before the PBA his property along Ortigas Ave., saying it could house a brand-new coliseum.
https://www.philstar.com/sports/2024/11/12/2399408/pba-dome-rise-chavits-pasig-property
New hydro facility to rise in Northern Samar [Inquirer Visayas, November 12, 2024]
The facility, a joint venture between Energy and Building Applications Technologies Corporation (EBATECH) and the Northern Samar Electric Cooperative (Norsamelco) to be known as EBATECH Norsamelco Energy Corp., signifies the province’s aspiration to lead the Philippines in green energy.
https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/2003920/new-hydro-facility-to-rise-in-northern-samar
PH courts have almost 1M unresolved cases [GMA News Online, November 11, 2024]
The number of pending cases was disclosed by Senate finance committee chairperson Grace Poe as she defended the proposed 2025 budget of the Judiciary on the Senate plenary on Monday.
Pangilinan-led MPH acquires 27th hospital [Inquirer.Net, November 11, 2024]
Manuel V. Pangilinan-led Metro Pacific Health Corp. (MPH) has cast its net further outside the capital region after investing in City of General Trias Doctors Medical Center Inc. (Gentri), expanding its network of private hospitals to 27.
https://business.inquirer.net/489311/pangilinan-led-mph-acquires-27th-hospital
PLDT, Accenture Philippines team up to build digital factory [GMA News Online, November 11, 2024]
Under the partnership, Accenture will oversee brand strategy, product research, and user interface (UI) and user experience (UX) design for Kayana through Song, its tech-powered creative group, addressing the digital needs of MVP Group business units.
To entice more clients, Security Bank is playing a new game [Inquirer Plus, November 10, 2024]
So what’s still in store for a 73-year-old bank that has already earned a high level of trust and loyalty from clients? Lucose Eralil, chief operating officer at Security Bank, says the company has set its sights on two segments where it can offer more “customer-centric customized products”: wealth management and financing for micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs).
https://plus.inquirer.net/business/to-entice-more-clients-security-bank-is-playing-a-new-game/
Malacañang orders Cagayan Special Economic Zone: Adhere to POGO ban [ABS-CBN News, November 9, 2024]
Cagayan Economic Zone Authority (CEZA) Administrator Katrina Ponce Enrile was told to enforce the “immediate ban of Philippine Offshore Gaming, Internet Gaming, and other offshore gaming operations in the Philippines”, according to a document from the Office of the President sent on November 5, 2024.
Dumaguete pushed as UNESCO creative city [The Star, November 9, 2024]
Gabila said if Dumaguete City gets the designation as a UNESCO Creative City for Literature, it will be joining the ranks of Baguio City (crafts and folk art), Iloilo (gastronomy) and Cebu (design).
Puregold acquires Puremart stores [The Philippine Star, November 9, 2024]
Puregold is purchasing Puremart stores, including its leasehold improvements, furniture, fixtures, equipment and merchandise inventory with up to P567.5 million book value from Tower 6789 Corp.
https://www.philstar.com/business/2024/11/09/2398657/puregold-acquires-puremart-stores
Activists urge private schools association to rethink affiliation with NTF-ELCAC [ABS-CBN News, November 9, 2024]
“We strongly urge COCOPEA to reconsider its involvement with NTF-ELCAC and follow the example set by the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) in distancing itself from this agency,” former ACT Teachers Party-list Rep. Antonio Tinio, who is also the party-list’s first nominee, said.
US investment firm taking over Belo Medical [Manila Standard, November 8, 2024]
Ares Management Corp., a New York-listed investment manager, prepares to increase its stake in Belo Medical Group up to 70 percent after its initial investment in July 2024.
https://manilastandard.net/business/314521131/us-investment-firm-taking-over-belo-medical.html
Hotel101 rides on Trump victory, eyes all 50 US states [The Philippine Star, November 8, 2024]
Hotel101 Global Pte. Ltd., the Singapore-headquartered subsidiary of DoubleDragon, is currently building the first Hotel101 in the US located in Los Angeles, California.
P5M worth of counterfeit milk for senior citizens, diabetics seized in Rizal [GMA News Online, November 8, 2024]
Operatives saw some of the fake products already packed and ready for delivery to those who ordered them online for a cheaper price.
SC: Violation of Procurement Law Not an Automatic Conviction for Graft [Supreme Court, November 8, 2024]
To convict someone under Section 3(e) of RA 3019, the person must be a public officer doing their job. The officer must have acted in bad faith, shown clear favoritism, or been grossly negligent. Their actions must have caused harm to someone or given unfair advantages or benefits to another person.
https://sc.judiciary.gov.ph/sc-violation-of-procurement-law-not-an-automatic-conviction-for-graft/
Passage of ‘game changer’ EBET Act lauded by business group [Inquirer.Net, November 8, 2024]
A business group on Thursday welcomed the passage of the Enterprise-Based Education and Training (EBET) Framework Act, emphasizing that it was a “game changer” in ensuring job opportunities.
https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/2002459/passage-of-game-changer-ebet-act-lauded-by-business-group
Topline, peza signs deal to power ecozones [Sunstar Cebu, November 8, 2024]
Topline Energy, known for serving a wide customer base across the Visayas, is actively expanding into both retail and commercial fuel sectors, while also enhancing its depot operations to meet Cebu’s growing energy demands.
https://www.sunstar.com.ph/cebu/topline-peza-signs-deal-to-power-ecozones
Office vacancy rate hits 20-year high [The Philippine Star, November 7, 2024]
The firm expects vacancy rates to remain high due to the total ban on Philippine offshore gaming operators (POGOs) and the implementation of the Corporate Recovery and Tax Incentives for Enterprises to Maximize Opportunities for Reinvigorating the Economy or CREATE MORE bill.
https://qa.philstar.com/business/2024/11/07/2398147/office-vacancy-rate-hits-20-year-high
BSP, CDA finalize joint circular on e-money issuers, payment operators [Manila Bulletin, November 7, 2024]
The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) and the Cooperative Development Authority (CDA) have finalized a proposed joint circular that will set guidelines for cooperatives planning to operate as electronic money issuer-non-bank financial institutions (EMI-NBFIs) or operators of payment systems (OPS).
https://mb.com.ph/2024/11/07/bsp-cda-finalize-joint-circular-on-e-money-issuers-payment-operators
SC didn’t order PhilHealth fund return, senator says [Philippine Daily Inquirer, November 7, 2024]
“[Finance Secretary Ralph Recto] has already said he would heed the ruling of the judiciary. The TRO was issued so the funds would no longer be used, to stop the remittance of money. But it did not mention that the fund needs to be returned to PhilHealth,” said Poe, the chair of the Senate finance committee.
https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/2002015/sc-didnt-order-philhealth-fund-return-senator-says
COA orders PhilHealth to return P6.35 million in employee cash benefits from 2014 [GMA News Online, November 7, 2024]
The Commission on Audit (COA) has ordered PhilHealth to return more than P6 million worth of funds distributed to their employees as a “cash birthday gift” in 2014 on grounds of unjust enrichment.
CIBI names Pia Arellano as new CEO [Inquirer.Net, November 7, 2024]
CIBI Information, Inc., the country’s first and only local credit bureau, is pleased to announce the appointment of Pia Arellano as its new President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO).
https://business.inquirer.net/488829/cibi-names-pia-arellano-as-new-ceo
Record Number of Philippine Universities Listed in 2025 THE World University Rankings [Good News Pilipinas, November 7, 2024]
Six Philippine universities have earned places in the prestigious 2025 Times Higher Education World University Rankings (THE WUR), marking the highest number of local institutions ever recognized in this annual global list which spotlights the world’s leading higher education institutions (HEIs), with universities assessed across key missions: teaching, research, knowledge transfer, and international outlook.
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