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The Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) released Advisory No. 2022-0010 last May 11, 2022 to inform the public of the adjusted premium rate for PhilHealth members for CY 2022. Based on Republic Act No. 11223 or the Universal Health Care Act, the premium rates should increase by 0.5 percent annually which started last 2019.

On May 10, 2022, the SC released its decision promulgated on 01 December 2021 on the petition for certiorari of the Department of Finance (DOF) and Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) seeking for annulment of an order of the Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 57 in Makati City that declared Revenue Regulations No. 4-2011 null and void.

The Commissioner of Internal Revenue has issued Revenue Memorandum Circular (RMC) No. 46-2022, clarifying that the deadline of submission of attachments to the 2021 Annual Income Tax Return (AITR) shall be on or before May 31, 2022, in relation to the provisions stated in RMCs 42-2022 and 44-2022.

A considerable number of newsworthy climate stories came out in the last two months. This year's Earth Hour and Earth Day celebrations are still fresh in mind, especially as the latter urged society to "invest in our planet" and act now. April notably saw a worldwide scientist-led protest following the release of the latest Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report. More recently, the BBC reported on "phantom forests" resulting from organizations that overpromised and failed to implement reforestation programs.

In previous years, we have seen an evolution of the Philippine tax landscape under different administrations. The National internal Revenue Code or the Tax Reform Act of 1997 superseded the 1977 Tax Code. Electronic filings have also been introduced, including the Electronic Filing and Payment System (eFPS), eBIRForms System, and electronic certificate authorizing registration (eCAR), among others. We currently have this thrust on streamlining the processes and requirements of the BIR’s registration processes and other taxpayer transactions with the BIR. There are also significant tax reform laws which have been passed -- the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion (TRAIN) Law and the Corporate Recovery and Tax Incentives for Enterprises (CREATE) Act, among others.

What makes a good leader? We may have heard or read about this question at least once, more so now that we have seen and heard from political candidates during their campaigns and rallies before the May 9 national elections. The same inquiry arises at some point for corporate employees. Although it is easy to dismiss it as another question with neither a right nor wrong answer, it is one worth pondering about. After all, being a leader is not just getting the job done; it is far from it. It entails fostering open communication with and a culture of trust among peers and staff, with Gallup reporting that 22% of workers expect to have leaders with clear-cut objectives and visions for the organization. Needless to say, a leader is one who is able to contribute and to make a lasting impact to colleagues and the whole organization.

The Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) has issued Revenue Memorandum Circular (RMC) No. 61-2022, announcing the expansion of the Central Business Portal (CBP) to include the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) and additional Local Government Units (LGUs) in the online processing of business registration.

Yesterday’s elections was a defining moment for all Filipinos as the electorate cast their votes to elect the next leaders of the country. Sovereignty operated once more as people voted for and elected the government officials and representatives that embody their aspirations and dreams. As representatives of the people, the power and authority of elected officials emanate from the people. Thus, whenever an elected official goes beyond the authority delegated to him, he acts without legitimacy, and such authority may be withdrawn.