DOF to put up training center in Cagayan de Oro

THE Department of Finance (DOF) is planning to open a regional Philippine Tax Academy (PTA) Training Center in Cagayan de Oro City in 2018, a DOF undersecretary said.

According to Finance Undersecretary Gil Beltran, the DOF will put up regional campuses of the PTA in the Visayas and Mindanao with the main site in Northern Mindanao following a request by the Bureau of Local Government Finance (BLGF) for the renovation of its regional office in Cagayan de Oro City to a PTA Center.

Beltran said the BLGF has requested a budget of P33 million to build the PTA Training Center and its offices in the bureau's 1,064 square meter property in the city.

According to the DOF, the agency said the planned PTA Training Center "will provide provincial employees of the BLGF, Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR), and Bureau of Customs (BOC) continuing professional education and training on improving tax collection competence and efficiency.

The PTA will "serve as a learning institution for tax collectors and administrators of the government and selected applicants from the private sector," the Republic Act 10143 or the Philippine Tax Academy Act stated.

RA 10143 added that the PTA is also tasked to "conduct lectures, seminars, workshops and other training programs designed to mold, develop, and enhance the skills and knowledge, moral fitness, efficiency and capability of tax collectors and administrators."

The Board of Trustees of the PTA shall include representatives from the DOF, BIR, BOC, BLGF and three representatives from the academe with at least five years of teaching experience in reputable school.

The main campus of the PTA will be at the University of Makati in Makati City while the University of the Philippines College of Economics in Diliman is being eyed to offer Executive Program certificate courses to interested DOF employees. AFTER the fire that consumed a great portion of NCCC Mall and killed 37 employees of SSI, a business process outsourcing (BPO) company leasing at the 4th floor of the mall, the BPO Association of Davao Inc. (BPOADI) calls on to other BPO companies in the malls in the city to review emergency coordination protocols to avoid similar tragedy from happening again.

In a statement released both by BPOADI president Xavier Eric Manalastas and ICT Davao president lawyer Samuel Matunog, BPO companies leasing in the malls in the city are urged to coordinate with their lessor's safety personnel in reviewing these emergency protocols.

The statement also said that the protocols should be made sure to be updated and current. The mall security must also have direct coordination and access with the leasing BPO's security in order to help facilitate evacuation.

“We mourn this loss in the industry and want to point our concern to the possible lack of coordination between the mall security and SSI security. All NCCC employees and clients were safely evacuated. In fact, many of those with cars parked in the basement were still able to drive out safely! Why were the agents trapped? We also wonder why 3 rescued SSI employees need to climb out to the rooftop to escape the fire. Were there not supposed to be fire exits, and weren't there supposed to be people guiding the employees' evacuation as well?” the statement pointed out.

Meanwhile, the investigation of the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) is still ongoing and has yet to release statement regarding the cause of the fire.

However, earlier published reports said the Department of Labor and Employment (Dole) will be looking into the possible violation committed by NCCC Mall management with regards to the safety and health standards.

“The findings of the investigation shall be submitted directly to