HOUSE leaders on Sunday joined former representative Ferdinand Martin Romualdez, Philippine Constitution Association president, in his call for all establishments to comply with the requirements of a law exempting over 1.5-million persons with disabilities from the payment of 12-percent value-added tax on certain goods and services.
Batangas Rep. Raneo Abu, deputy speaker; Camarines Sur Rep. Luis Ray Villafuerte; Surigao del Norte Rep. Robert Ace Barbers, and Marikina City Rep. Miro Quimbo, also a deputy speaker, expressed support for Republic Act 10754, or An Act Expanding the Benefits and Privileges of Persons with Disability, exempting PWDs from VAT payment must be strictly implemented.
Romualdez was the principal author of the law’s House version.
“We will be vigilant to guarantee the compassionate law will be implemented strictly to bring hope to the PWD sector. This law will also show that the government is doing everything to help their plight,” Abu said.
Barbers, House committee on dangerous drugs chairperson, also called for strict compliance to the law, lauding Romualdez for “pursing a very good advocacy to directly help the PWD sector.”
“I would ask for a strict compliance of this law by all establishments and ask local government units to monitor strictly the implementation of RA 10754. Congratulations to the authors, especially to representative Martin who diligently worked for the passage of the law,” he said.
Villafuerte, House committee on appropriations vice chairperson, urged business establishments to do its obligations to comply with the law.
“With last week’s signing of the implementing rules and regulations of RA 10754, it behooves all private establishments and government institutions from hereon to accord PWDs the expanded benefits and privileges under this landmark law,” he said.
“May I remind private establishments and professionals offering good and services that under RA 10754, they are required to, among others, extend fixed discounts and exemption from the VAT to PWDs for services.”
Quimbo, then House committee on ways and means chairman in the 16th Congress, said the signing of IRR signaled the immediate implementation of the law.
“It is important that we be able to fully harness the bill so that the objective of making PWD’s productive members of society is achieved sooner rather than later,” he pointed out.
“The fight has just begun. Our task now is to ensure and guarantee that all beneficiaries will fully enjoy the assistance that the law has been offering,” said Romualdez, a former House independent bloc leader.
The law that stemmed from Romualdez’s House Bill No. 1039 amended RA 7277, or the Magna Carta for Persons with Disability, spares PWDs from the 12-percent VAT as amended by RA 9442 that gave the PWDs the 20-percent discount.