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By Luis Leoncio Despite posting a 6-percent growth, the Philippines’s relatively high gross international reserve (GIR) of $85.49 billion in July was still considered a “laggard” in Asia, mainly as a result of the low foreign-capital inflow. 

By Luis Leoncio  A government study has confirmed that proceeds from the controversial road-users tax or the motor vehicle users charge (MVUC), considered the third-biggest source of tax revenue for the government that some legislators have long wanted to review since these were “prone to corruption,” are, indeed, not being efficiently used.

The once-impoverished sectors of the economy are fast catching up, with the economy of the Bicol provinces, which used to be among the poorest in the country, recording the fastest growth among the regions last year, according to the Philippine Statistics Authority. 

The tax reforms that eluded the nation during the term of former President Benigno S. Aquino III are expected to be realized within the early part of the Duterte administration, according to the Tax Management Association of the Philippines (TMAP), which has spearheaded the campaign to reform the tax system.

By Luis Leoncio  The push for a shift to a federal system of government “is more of an economic than a political necessity,” according to former Senate President Aquilino Pimentel Jr., a strong advocate of the move supported by President Duterte, which has gained traction in Congress.

By Luis Leoncio  A simple program overlooked by the previous administration—the efficient use of human resources in the government— is now one of the pillars of the Department of Agriculture (DA) under the Duterte administration. 

Pending the implementation of the planned reforms in the country’s tax infrastructure, the Duterte administration will pursue a new system of taxation, since achieving efficiency in collecting revenues similar to the level of the country’s neighbors can’t be achieved under the country’s outdated tax schedule, Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III said in emphasizing the need for tax reforms. He also …

Filipino executives have the “least commitment” for corporate ethics, according to a recent survey of the corporate culture of Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) companies. 

By Luis Leoncio A recent Pulse Asia survey showed that, while President Duterte received the highest-ever trust rating among Philippine leaders, he has failed to address the most pressing problems of the people, notably the high unemployment rate, the think tank IBON said.

More than a hundred rainwater collectors that aim to mitigate flooding and fulfill the ever-increasing demand for water supply in Region 6 is under way.