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These days, it is an accepted fact that the burden of reversing the climate crisis lies largely on the shoulders of governments and corporations. After all, research shows that less than 100 companies are responsible, whether directly or indirectly, for majority of carbon emissions throughout history. Thus, companies have been under scrutiny to ramp up their sustainability initiatives. The recent Grant Thornton International Business Report (IBR) even saw that 42% of the surveyed Philippine mid-market firms are ready and likely to invest in sustainability reporting and initiatives.

Some of us, if not most, have family members who are senior citizens or persons with disabilities (PWDs). As physical restrictions due to the COVID-19 pandemic have pushed companies to innovate from face-to-face to online transactions, the perks given to senior citizens and PWDs have also been inadvertently pushed aside.

As some Information Technology-Business Process Management (IT-BPM) entities registered with the Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA) are shifting to the Board of Investments (BOI) to retain the work-from-home arrangement beyond December 31, 2022, the BOI issued Memorandum Circular No. 2022-005, reiterating the exemption from business tax of enterprises certified by the BOI as pioneer or non-pioneer enterprises, for a period of six years or four years, respectively, from the date of registration.

At the onset of the Covid 19-pandemic, working from home (WFH) was a temporary solution for businesses to survive. This setup was not widely popular in the Philippine business setting prior to the pandemic; thus, many business entities grappled with how to continue their operations while the whole world is on lock-down. The Philippine government allowed companies who are granted with tax incentives for operating within economic zones to adopt this setup while being allowed to operate outside the zones.

THE importance of going digital has never been more apparent following the onslaught of Covid-19. The notion that work could only be accomplished face to face was quickly shoved out the door when businesses had to find new ways to carry on with operations amid strict safety measures and lockdowns. Before we knew it, team meetings and Zoom webinars quickly became the new norm.

Last September 15, 2022, the Fiscal Incentives Review Board (FIRB) granted the extension of the 70-30 work from home arrangement, wherein 70% of the total workforce are required to report within the premises of the Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA)-registered Information Technology (IT)-Business Process Management (BPM) entities while 30% of the total workforce are allowed to work from home until December 31, 2022.

Over the past couple of years, enormous attention is being given to the concept of sustainability and it’s far from waning. Sustainability is defined by the United Nations Brundtland Commission as “meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs”. Even though sustainability is often associated by most people with environmental conservation, it actually encompasses many dimensions especially if we talk about sustainable development.

Pursuant to Revenue Memorandum Circular (RMC) No. 77-2022, all field audit and other field operations of the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) covered by Letters of Authority (LOAs)/Mission Orders (MOs) relative to examinations and verifications of taxpayers' books of account, records, and other transactions ordered were suspended as of May 30, 2022.