CALAMBA CITY, Laguna—The city government on August 24 announced two landmark ordinances that provide fiscal and tax incentives to private businesses in the city for employing senior citizens and persons with disability (PWDs).
City Mayor Justin Marc SB. Chipeco approved City Ordinance 648, which provides incentives to local private companies that hire the services of senior citizens, and City Ordinance 649, which grants incentives to companies that employ PWDs. The ordinances take effect immediately.
“With the help of our Vice Mayor Ross Rizal and city legislative councilors, I have signed immediately the ordinances giving incentives to investors and commercial establishments for you to hire and employ in your workplace our senior citizens and PWDs),” Chipeco said during the city’s 276th founding anniversary celebration at the “Kalan-Banga” landmark.
He described the ordinances as a historic initiative by the local government and acknowledged private companies for their corporate social responsibility.
“You are investing and gaining profit here, so why not share a little of your earnings with the people? You will receive incentives from our city government. I hope you will help the grandpas and grandmas, fathers and mothers of our constituents,” the mayor said.
He also enjoined city folk here to patronize establishments that employ senior citizens and PWDs to encourage other companies to follow suit.
“Let us order, dine or buy at the establishments that hire our senior citizens and PWDs so we could ensure helping them,” Chipeco said.
“It is really a momentous day because we witness that through the cooperation and support of both the executive and legislative branches of our local government, we could do a lot better,” he said.
The business executives and representatives of various companies and establishments, senior citizens associations, such as the Calamba City Federation of Senior Citizens Associations, United Oldies, Elderly Council, Damayan Inc., and PWD organizations also took turns in signing the Covenant that was placed on a standee with Chipeco, Rizal, city councilors, Department of Labor and Employment 4A (Calabarzon) Assistant Regional Director Nepomuceno Leaño and DOLE Laguna Provincial Director Guido Recio.
The Covenant signatories, as representatives of their respective sectors, “whole-heartedly commit to support the effective implementation of the City Ordinances 648 and 649 series of 2018.”
The signatories also expressed full support for the Calamba city government’s advocacy to provide meaningful and gainful activities to all qualified senior citizens and PWDs, thereby uplifting their lives as productive members of the community.