Tax breaks for Filipino makers of PPEs sought

MANILA, Philippines — Sen. Francis Pangilinan yesterday filed a bill seeking to grant tax exemptions as incentives to local companies manufacturing surgical masks, personal protective equipment (PPE), test kits, ventilators and other medical products during and after the COVID-19 pandemic.

“The COVID-19 pandemic showed that no one was working on critical medical supplies in the country. At the onset of the pandemic, the supply of these critical products and its raw materials became scarce, inaccessible and expensive. Not enough, and not affordable,” said Pangilinan regarding his Senate Bill 1759.

He said the Board of Investments is convinced that the existing manufacturing firms must repurpose their operations. He, however, noted that some firms are trying to compete against other manufacturing firms in getting substandard imported products and fake imported PPEs.

Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian also called on the government to provide financial support to local government units (LGUs) after Metro Manila, Bulacan, Cavite, Laguna and Rizal reverted to modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ).

Gatchalian said officials of LGUs from the mayors down to the barangay watchmen (tanods) are themselves frontliners because they are at the forefront of delivering services to their respective constituents and the most vulnerable to contract the virus.

“Many frontliners in the LGUs, particularly tanods, were infected with the virus. It is important that the government help them since these tanods directly mingle with the people in the community,” Gatchalian said.