By Jelly F. Musico / Philippines News Agency
WITH the expected influx of foreign donations into the country, Sen. Francis Escudero on Friday urged the government to waive tax and hasten the processing and release of all donated relief goods to victims of Typhoon Lando (international code name Koppu) in Northern and Central Luzon.
Escudero said taxation and red tape issues must be eliminated in order to facilitate the faster distribution of relief goods to some 1.2 million people affected by the strongest tropical storm to hit Luzon in five years.
“The urgently needed aid for Lando victims should not be delayed from reaching communities due to taxation and customs procedures,” Escudero pointed out. It was earlier reported that the international community has started efforts to bring relief to Lando victims, with Australia vowing to provide P33 million in emergency relief supplies. France also offered assistance to typhoon survivors. Foreign organizations and Filipino communities abroad have also begun gathering cash donations and relief goods for the victims.
Escudero has sought to institutionalize the customs duty or tax exemption on donated relief goods when he filed Senate Bill (SB) 422, also known as the Anti-Smuggling Act, which amends the Tariff and Customs Code of the Philippines to stop smuggling, simplify rules and facilitate trade transaction, among others. The bill has been merged with seven other measures into SB 2968, also known as the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act (CMTA). The consolidated bill was already sponsored on the Senate floor by Sen. Juan Edgardo M. Angara on September 28.
Under the proposed CMTA, relief consignment, or goods such as food, medicine, equipment and materials for shelter, donated or leased to government institutions for free distribution to or use of victims of calamities, shall be exempt from duties and taxes.
4 comments
Yes, procedures and protocols are indeed necessary to be followed. But our government must also take into consideration the kind of situation wherein such procedures must no longer be taken because people’s lives are at stake. What good can the red tapes do if more and more people are dying by the hour just because their food supplies cannot be distributed yet for the reason that a particular paper hasn’t been signed yet. Kaya sana sa panahon ng kalamidad, huwag na sana nilang patagalin pa ang pagbibigay ng tulong sa mga nasalanta. Ipamahagi na agad ang mga relief goods sa mga survivors dahil nakakalungkot isipin na nakaligtas nga sila sa bagyo pero mamamatay naman sila sa gutom. Magaling Senator Chiz Escudero, tunay ka nagang may pagmamalasakit sa mga Pilipino. Saludo kaming lahat sayo!
I agree. Sana kalimutan na muna ng gobyerno ang red tapes sa panahon ng sakuna. Katulad lang yan sa nangyari noong pgkatapos ng Yolanda. Saksi ako noon sa paghihirap ng mga biktima noong pumunta kami mismo ng Tacloban para hanapin ang kapatid ko at kanyang pamilya na nakatira doon. Napakatagal bago naihatid ang mga relief goods at gamot sa mga taong nasalanta ng bagyo. Bakit ba hinayaan ng administrasyong Aquino yun? May mga nagsasabi na pagkukulang yun ng Mayor ng Tacloban, at sana pgkatapos ng bagyo, tumulong na agad ang LGU ng Tacloban. Hindi ba sila nag-iisip? Paano makapaghatid ng tulong ang LGU ng Tacloban eh samantalang biktima din sila mismo ng bagyo? Pati sila nasira ang mga bahay, walang makain at tubig. Kaya yung mga hindi naapektuhan ng bagyo tulad ng mga nasa Malacañang ang expected na magbigay agad ng tulong sa mga apektado ng bagyo. Pero hindi yun ang nangyari eh. Pinaghintay pa nila ang mga kawawang biktima.
Grabe yung gobyerno natin noh? Inuuna pa yung pagbibigay ng tax sa mga relief goods kaysa sa pagpamahagi nito sa mga kababayan nating nasalanta ng bagyo. Grabe naman sila. Hindi na naawa sa mga biktima!
Go Chiz! Idol ka namin talaga! 🙂 🙂 🙂
Gagamitin ng Pnoy government ang mga donasyon para sa kampanya ng LP sa 2016. Ginawa na rin nila ito nung Yolanda kaya meron P15 billion pesos na hindi nagamit.