"Study while others are sleeping; work while others are loafing; prepare while others are playing; and dream while others are wishing." -W.A. Ward
Earth Hour 2012
Earth Hour in 2012 will be held on March 31 at 8.30PM in the Philippines. This year, dare the world to save the planet by putting in your challenge on www.youtube.com/earthhour and sign up at www.earthhour.org
MANILA, Philippines – The Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) declared Wednesday that allowances and bonuses received by all officials and employees in government and the private sector are subject to income tax if the amount is in excess of P30,000 per year.
“There is no exemption,” BIR Commissioner Kim S. Jacinto S. Henares stressed.
The BIR chief spelled out the requirement in the Internal Revenue Code (Sections 244 and 245) following disclosure at the Senate impeachment trial of Chief Justice Renato C. Corona that high tribunal justices were recipients of tax-free multi-million-peso bonuses and allowances through the years.
Supreme Court spokesman, Court Administrator Jose Midas Marquez, admitted that the extra income of the justices have not been placed under the withholding tax system since the time of Chief Justice Hilario Davide.
He said, however, that there is no problem if the BIR decides to collect the deficiency income taxes due from these allowances and bonuses.
But Henares would not say whether she has issued instructions to Manila Revenue Regional Director Pete Madulara to collect the back taxes, saying the audit on the extra income of the justices like any other investigation is “strictly confidential.”
Other revenue officials said that under the Tax Code even the 13th-month pay and other Christmas bonuses are also subject to income tax if the amount goes beyond P30,000 per year.
The tax is slapped on the excess of the P30,000 threshold.
They said certain “de minimis” (small value) allowances are tax exempt under Revenue Regulations 2-28, including monetized unused vacation leave, medical cash allowance, rice subsidy and uniform, or clothing allowance.
The BIR earlier filed last month a P12 million tax evasion charges against Jesus Santos, counsel of former First Gentleman Mike Arroyo , for alleged non-declaration of his allowances and bonuses received from the Government Service Insurance System as member of its board of trustees from 2006 to 2009.
BIR insiders said Corona and other SC justices could not be charged for the same offense as their earnings from the SC are covered by the Substituted Filing System of the BIR in which the task of filing income tax returns is done by SC treasurers and accountants.
“If ever criminal complaints are filed, the respondents should be the justices, but it was the SC accountants who were designated as withholding agents of the BIR,” one of the sources added
Source: Yahoo News
Beginning February 1, bus drivers and conductors plying the NCR route will receive minimum wage and other mandatory benefits.
DOLE’s Department Order No. 118-12 Series of 2012 mandates a fixed and performance based compensation scheme in the public bus transport industry, a novel scheme which drastically changes an age-old commission-based pay practice.
According to Secretary Rosalinda Dimapilis-Baldoz, the fixed componentconsists of an amount mutually agreed upon by the owner/operator and the driver/conductor, which shall not be lower than the minimum wage while theperformance-based component shall be based on the safety and business performance such as ridership, revenues/profitability, and other related parameters.
DOLE hopes that by improving the compensation and working condition of bus drivers and conductors, road accidents and traffic violations due to jostling among bus drivers for passengers, will be reduced.
NWPC Executive Director Ciriaco A. Lagunzad III explained that the NWPC is mandated by the law to fix and determine the applicable minimum wage, not only on regional and provincial level, but also on industry level.
The benefits include 13th month pay, holiday pay, rest day, overtime pay, nightshift differential, retirement pay, service incentive leave, maternity, paternity, and parental leave, and other leaves mandated under the Magna Carta for Women.
Also, they will be entitled to Pag-IBIG Fund, PhilHealth, Employees’ Compensation Law, Social Security System (SSS), and other social welfare benefits, the Department Order states.
Meanwhile, the NWPC will issue the operational guidelines to implement the compensation scheme including the formula to be used by bus companies. Companies may submit their proposed compensation scheme to respective Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board on or before March 31, 2011.
Also, the safety and health of bus drivers and conductors, the Bureau of Working Conditions (BWC) and the Occupational Safety and Health Center (OSHC) will issue a Safety and Health Manual for the Bus Industry which will be implemented and promoted by the operators.
The Technical Educational and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) will provide training, assessment and certification to ensure drivers have the knowledge and skills in driving and basic troubleshooting. The certificate from TESDA is one of the requirements in getting Certificates of Public Convenience from the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board.
In the first six months but not later than one year from the effectivity, the provisions in this D.O. shall be liberally construed to enable compliance by the bus companies.
The D.O. was published on 17 January 2012 at The Philippine Star.
Source: www.dole.gov.ph
Here’s a helpful guide for an easy MRT and LRT ride.
It has weekly train schedule,travel time guide and fare table.
Tip: Click the the actual image for a larger view.
5:00AM ►First train leaves the Baclaran Station bound for Roosevelt Station.
9:30PM ►Last northbound commercial train leaves Baclaran Station for Roosevelt Station.
10:00PM►Last southbound commercial train leaves Roosevelt Station for Baclaran Station.
5:00AM ►First train leaves the Baclaran Station bound for Roosevelt Station.
9:00PM ►Last northbound commercial train leaves Baclaran Station for Roosevelt Station.
9:30PM ►Last southbound commercial train leaves Roosevelt Station for Baclaran Station.
5:00AM ►Start of operation.
9:30PM ►Last commercial train leaves Santolan Station bound for Recto Station
10:00PM►Last commercial train leaves Recto Station bound for Santolan Station
5:00AM ►Start of operation.
9:30PM ►Last commercial train leaves Recto Station bound for Santolan Station
Sold for Php100.00 each.
Sold for Php100.00 each.
Tickets will expire if:
What to do:
Passenger is required to buy another ticket.
Ticket that are scratched, folded, written-on or exposed to magnet are considered damaged.
What to do:
For Single Journey tickets, passenger buys another ticket for Php 12.00 and pays penalty of Php 9.00 for damaged ticket.
For a Stored Value ticket, passenger surrenders the damaged ticket to the station teller who shall fill up a Ticket Incident Report (TIR) so that the ticket could be analyzed for its remaining value. The passenger shall be given the blue copy of the TIR which will be used when claiming for the remaining value of the ticket five (5) days after filing of the TIR.
Source: MRT and LRT Website
1. Most tortilla chips are triangular shaped because they are cut from round tortilla.
2. In Mexico, Tortilla Chips are called tostados, toasted chips. Outside of North America they are called “corn chips”
3. Doritos brand is the first toasted tortilla chip launched nationally in the U.S.(1966)
4. Tortilla chips are considered the most fattening item sold in Mexican restaurants with as much as 2 grams of fat per chip.
Food Adventure promo from Venice Piazza, Mc Kinley Hill will run until March 31, 2012, 4pm-9 pm, Saturdays and Sundays. You will get the taste of 14 restaurants for only P600.
For those working in private companies, the usual link they would like to have access to is the SS and the telephone numbers of the same. Through this link they will be able to monitor their monthly contributions and check if their respective employers are diligently remitting their hard earned money.
However for government employees, there is GSIS or the Government Service Insurance System.
For everyone, the site of PAG-IBIG, PHILHEALTH , DFA, LTO and BIR are likewise material, so check the following resources for your reference.
SSS – Social Security System -
http://www.sss.gov.ph
Tel. No. (632)9206401/9206446
GSIS – Government Service Insurance System
http://www.gsis.gov.ph/default.php?id=6
Tel. No. (632) 4793645
PAG-IBIG – Home Development Mutual Fund
http://www.pagibigfund.gov.ph/
Tel. No.(632)7244244
PHILHEALTH – Philippine Health Insurance Corporation
http://www.philhealth.gov.ph/
Tel. No. (632) 4417442
BIR – Bureau of Internal Revenue
http://www.bir.gov.ph/
Tel. No. (632)9297676
NSO – National Statistics Office
http://www.census.gov.ph/
Tel. No.(632)7160807/7137074
DFA – Department of Foreign Affairs
http://www.dfa.gov.ph/main/
Tel. No. (632) 9229061-66
LTO – Land Transportation Office
http://www.lto.gov.ph
Tel. No.(632)9297676/9272511
DOLE – Department of Labor and Employment
http://www.dole.gov.ph/
Call Center Hotline – 527-8000
Happy 5th Birthday Nuffnang! Keep up the good work!
If you want to win invites to their party, all you have to do is submit a blog post entitled “Happy 5thBirthday, Nuffnang!” and give your most creative birthday greeting!
The Department of Foreign Affairs-Office of Consular Affairs will be having their Mobile Passport Services (MPS) to different locations around Metro Manila and chosen Provincial area.
Consular teams will be in the following areas on the following dates:
March 3
March 10
March 17
March 24
March 31
April 14
April 21
April 28
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March 23, 2012
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