Day: August 11, 2025

Manila: The Court of Tax Appeals (CTA) has turned down a petition filed by Nestle Philippines Inc. questioning the imposition of sweetened beverage taxes (SBT) over its line of malt-flavored drink. According to Philippines News Agency, in a 13-page decision dated Aug. 7, the CTA’s Second Division dismissed for lack of jurisdiction the suit filed by Nestle, and also turned down the firm’s motion for the suspension of collection of taxes as it ‘is deemed moot and academic.’ Nestle had questioned the Bureau of Internal Revenue’s revenue memorandum circular (RMC) and letters directing it to pay SBT on Milo products

Manila: Finance Secretary Ralph Recto has announced that the Department of Finance (DOF) is exploring the implementation of a General Tax Amnesty program and the imposition of additional regulations on online gambling. According to Philippines News Agency, Recto shared during the 2025 EJAP Economic Forum in Manila that while no new tax proposals are currently on the table, refined measures, such as the Rationalization of the Mining Fiscal Regime, are awaiting enactment. He noted that the possibility of enacting General Tax Amnesty and Online Gambling Tax laws is also under consideration. Recto clarified that the proposed General Tax Amnesty would

Dauin: Some 40 teachers of the Department of Education (DepEd) in Dauin, Negros Oriental are undergoing training on computer troubleshooting and other modern skills to allow them to adapt to evolving times. According to Philippines News Agency, the upskilling training, which started over the weekend, is a collaboration among the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA), the Metro Dumaguete College (MDC), and the Dauin Local School Board. The training is designed to allow teachers to meet challenges and opportunities at school, such as simple and basic computer troubleshooting, sound system maintenance, and basic electronics. Bing Rotea Emperado, technical assistant

Iloilo city: The National Commission of Senior Citizens (NCSC) has disbursed PHP88.13 million in cash grants to 8,255 senior citizens in Western Visayas who qualified under the Expanded Centenarian Act. This distribution marks the second quarter payout for 2,016 grantees in 2014 and 6,239 grantees for 2025. According to Philippines News Agency, the recipients include 3,802 individuals aged 80 years, 2,805 aged 85, 1,229 aged 90 years, 357 aged 95, and 62 centenarians. NCSC regional director Ann Rapunzel Ganzon highlighted the strong collaboration with local government units to reach more senior citizens. She stated that efforts are made to visit

Bacolod city: The Commission on Elections (Comelec) has processed the applications of 78,313 new voters in Negros Occidental during the registration for the Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections from August 1 to 10. According to Philippines News Agency, data released by the Comelec-Negros Occidental showed that of the total registrants, 40,642 are females, while 37,671 are males. Provincial Elections Supervisor Ian Lee Ananoria mentioned in a radio interview that the 10-day registration had a notable turnout in Negros Occidental. He observed that a significant portion of those registering were young people, estimating that 90 to 95 percent of the registrants