The spread of the pandemic in the Philippines did not spare anyone.
Multi-sectoral corporations saw a shift in their core business operations while employees had to adjust to working at home. However, it was the small and medium enterprises (SMEs) who bore the brunt of the financial blow COVID-19 dealt to the economy. Those who survived the initial financial fallout now face an uphill battle.
Quezon City Fourth District Councilor Hero Bautista is cognizant of the plight of SMEs, with their family business also significantly affected by COVID-19. To help ease the financial burden of small companies, Bautista filed a resolution authorizing Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte to give a 10-percent discount on business taxes.
The resolution aims to help business owners recover by lowering the cost of business in Quezon City. Councilor Bautista noted that it is not just the local government’s legal responsibility, but also a moral one to help its citizens in times of need and the proposed business tax discount is one of the ways that it can be done.