Enero 08-14 , 2018

CALAMBA CITY , Laguna -- The Department of Agriculture ( DA ) plans to collect and re-distribute farm tools that were not used by former recipients , as agreed upon during the meeting spearheaded by the Corn Banner Program of DA IV-A held at the Southern Tagalog Integrated Agricultural Research Center ( STIARC ), Marauoy , Lipa City , Batangas .

The participants , comprised of Local Government Units ( LGUs ) and other stakeholders , concerted that previously

by Arnold Alamon

IN THE first week of 2018 , the Duterte Tax Reform Program is rampaging already through consumers ’ purses and budgets . If there are still any political stragglers within the Duterte administration who still believe that he embodies progressive economic ideals , then the marauding tax reform law or TRAIN that is now being implemented should leave anyone without any doubt about the obvious neoliberal direction of his administration .

The Tax Reform Law for Acceleration and Inclusion by the Duterte administration signed into law by Duterte last December 19 , 2017 is a neoliberal technocrat ’ s wet dream . One can say that government functions can be divided into two broad categories – collecting and spending money . The new tax measures clearly resolves the issue of securing government revenues by devising of the most efficient ways to collect money from the people by taxing the core of every Filipino ’ s consumption practices regardless of social standing .

It veers away from provided farming tools to the LGUs and farmers that were left unused will be collected by DA for redistribution to other farmers who need it more .

Production Targets of Accomplishments , and

the over reliance on income taxation of the past and casts a wider net that makes tax payers out of the country ’ s every man , woman , and child through their consumption practices of basic economic goods such as sugar and oil . It is a shrewd move that on the one hand dangles additional funds to the formally employed workers in the country who before bore the brunt of filling government coffers with their income tax . They are now given substantive deductions from the income tax taken away from their salaries and now they will have more take home pay .

However , the salaried ones and every Filipino including those who have no formal sources of income as well as the country ’ s oligarchs , politicians , and millionaires will now have to equally share in the costs of running government . And if you look at these sectors in terms of number , who among these comprise the greatest number who will eventually assume the economic burden of government costs ?

Only 7.5 million Filipino families , according to Ibon Foundation ’ s Sonny Africa , are set to benefit from their Targets and Budget for 2018 .

DA IV-A Assistant Regional Director Milo Delos Reyes also tackled the guidelines in creating proposals to gain interventions for the year 2019 .

On the other hand , Operations Division officerin-charge Dennis Arpia shared about the steps on how to request for assistance to augment farming needs like seeds and post-harvest machineries , equipment and facilities based on the Memorandum Order No . 25 ,

the reduction of income tax leaving 15.2 million Filipino families who will suffer the ensuing higher prices with the expanded VAT on oil and sugar goods . In other words , the tax reform has widened the sources of revenue beyond income tax by taxing the goods that every one especially the poor who are more numerous consume .

The increase in taxes in diesel and gasoline for instance will have a domino effect in other consumer goods since all goods before they reach the consumer will have to be transported . The two to four peso increases in both oil products are already drawing out petitions from transport groups for an increase in minimum fare for the riding public pegged at twelve pesos .

What is even more worrisome is the inflationary effect of additional income from those who now have additional buying power . The formal income earners might appreciate the increase in their take home pay at first but in terms of real value , they might actually see their incomes decreasing with the prices of goods going up .

The obvious winner in all of these is , of course ,

series of 2016 by Secretary Emmanuel F . Piñol .

This Memorandum Order provides for the general guidelines in the provision of agricultural production , postharvest and processing facilities under the Regular Program of the Department .

According to DA , qualified recipients should meet the following requirements : ( 1 ) must be an organized farmer ’ s group or other related groups engaged in agriculture production and processing , duly registered at Securities and Exchange Commission ( SEC )/ Cooperative Development Authority ( CDA )/ Department of Local Employment ( DOLE )/ Department of Trade and Industry ( DTI ); ( 2 ) must be currently engaged in rice , corn , high-value crop , organic farming , livestock and poultry production ; ( 3 ) must be currently engaged in trading , consolidating , or any activity necessary ,

government who will benefit from the shift from income tax to taxing basic economic goods . It also will enjoy more efficient means of tax collection by simplifying the revenue stream from the expanded value added tax base .

Other winners here include middle and upper class income earners who will have additional income in the few thousands to hundreds of thousands with the reduction in income tax planned over the next few years . In other words , those that do not need additional income already are actually given more under the tax reform regime of Duterte . This propertied class is also set to gain a whole lot more with reductions in estate and donor taxes under the same tax scheme .

In the meantime , proponents of the tax law fete the progressive dimensions of the tax law because it supposedly promotes public health by weaning away the public from the consumption of sugary goods as if the inflationary effect of the same tax law will now give them access to healthier organic goods . The same with the imposition of higher sin taxes to local cigarettes and alcohol . The option will be to look for cheaper alternatives because market demand is sure to

to sustain the operation of their facility ; ( 4 ) must be willing and able to provide the prescribed equity ; ( 5 ) must be willing to shoulder the cost of operation and maintenance starting from the date of turnover and beyond warranty period ; and finally , ( 6 ) must be willing to participate in training courses .

R e g i o n a l Agriculture and Fishery Council ( RAFC ) OIC- Chairperson Pedrito Kalaw also imparted to the attendees some important information on Marketing Strategies .

Finally , ARD Delos Reyes expressed his commendation for the success of the Corn and Cassava Programs in the year 2017 led by Regional Corn Focal Person and Lipa City Agricultural Research and Experiment Station ( LARES ) Chief Avelita M . Rosales . ( GG / DAIV-A / Joy Gabrido )

create such products or go imported which curiously are reportedly exempted from additional taxes .

They are also celebrating the new taxes in imported coal , which before entered the country free of any tariffs and duties , in order to encourage the shift in renewable energy . However , lobbying groups reportedly were able to insert exemptions under the new tax reform law for local coal . It is a troubling development for Lumad communities who are sure to feel the brunt of this new incentive for local coal production through increased militarization and human rights violations of their mineral-rich ancestral domains .

Behind the populist façade of this folksy president , are the same elite and corporate interests that neoliberal policies serve as embodied in Duterte ’ s tax reform package . The TRAIN will accelerate this sectors ’ wealth as well as the pockets of officials who will benefit from the other dimension to government function – spending the Filipino people ’ s hardearned taxes through corrupt infrastructure projects . Like a tired refrain , it will be the common Filipino once again who will remain excluded .