Maniolas

THE PHILIPPINES will be crafting energy plans specific to each of its 17 regions, a move that will ensure power supply security all over the country, the Department of Energy (DoE) said.

WHEN one is facing a tax assessment case we resort to exhaust all possible and available legal remedies that the law provides for the taxpayer. One of the possible and available remedies is for the taxpayer to request for a reinvestigation of the case. Under Revenue Regulations (RR) No. 18-2013, request for reinvestigation refers to a plea of re-evaluation of an assessment on the basis of newly discovered or additional evidence that a taxpayer intends to present in the reinvestigation. It may also involve a question of fact or of law or both.

SECONDARY tourism enterprises will soon be required to register with the City Tourism Operations Office (CTOO) once the Amended Tourism Code is approved. According to the proposed ordinance, secondary tourism enterprises are “facilities and services that are related to tourism.” This includes restaurants, malls, shops, department stores, sports and recreational facilities, ecotourism, health and wellness centers, museums, theme parks, and marinas. “[For] secondary tourism enterprises, it is optional for them to get a registration from the Department of Tourism but they are required to register at the CTOO,” said Councilor Al Ryan Alejandre, who heads the committee on tourism and beautification, in a phone interview with Sun.Star Davao. He said primary tourism enterprises — facilities, services, and attractions that are directly related or involved to tourism — are required to get a registration from both the DOT and CTOO. Alejandre said it is important that the secondary tourism enterprises are registered to them so that they will be able to monitor these enterprises closely. He said they will also be able to update the tourism players of what is new in the city which can affect them like new laws from the city or from the national level. “This will also be a venue for us to help them in improving their craft or services,” he said. The proposed code states that, “no person, natural or juridical, shall keep, manage, or operate any building, edifice or premises or a completely independent part thereof, for the purpose of engaging in the Read More …

THE GOVERNMENT is staging a road show in Tokyo this week to attract Japanese investors to do business in the Philippines, according to a statement from its Investor Relations Office (IRO).

What does it profit a person if he or she has amassed ill-gotten millions or billions, mansions or luxury vehicles, but loses his or her soul?  I recently had a session with DZMM radio hosts Alvin Elchico and Doris Bigornia. On the controversy about a police general and his many private donations for his official residence and a friend’s giving him a huge discount on his SUV vehicle, I said that in the US, Hong Kong, Singapore and other societies with strict anti-corruption laws, all gifts above a certain amount should be reported in full public disclosures. Why do we have what I call a shocking “culture of impunity” in our politics and government nowadays instead of a sense of shame, wherein some shameless leaders mired in scandals and gross incompetence should ideally resign or take at least a leave of absence? Even those in the private sector, NGOs or religious groups should ask themselves, “Are we always upholding transparency and accountability?” Recently, communication students from 21 universities and colleges behind the Metro Manila Alliance of Communication Students (MACS) invited me to speak at their conference at the Polytechnic University of the Philippines (PUP). MACS is led by president Irish Salinas and secretary general Marianne de la Cerna. They gave me the topic “The importance of ethics in communications,” and I expanded this topic to include the importance of ethics to achieve true success in any vocation or profession. Here are some of the points I discussed: 1. Maintain your Read More …