Manila gives tax credits to frontliners’ lodgings

The City of Manila is according tax relief to all hotels, motels, apartelles and lodging houses that accommodated health frontliners as a fitting token to their support and cooperation. This will be in the form of a P100,000 tax credit.

Mayor Francisco “Isko Moreno” Domagoso made this announcement during his first directional meeting held with heads of bureaus, departments and offices since the lifting of the enhanced community quarantine.

The mayor said the business tax credit of P100,000 for each establishment is a simple token from the city government for the help they willingly extended to the medical personnel who are at the frontlines of the fight against COVID-19.

He said he already spoke to Vice Mayor Honey Lacuna, who was present in the meeting and is concurrently the

City Council presiding officer, that the ordinance granting the tax credit be passed at the soonest time possible.

As soon as the measure is enacted, he said he will sign it into law for immediate publication and effectivity.

Business permits and licenses office chief Levy Facundo said there are 19 such establishments who helped accommodate health frontliners, not including dormitories, the number of which is still being collated.

Meanwhile, Domagoso ordered city administrator Felix Espiritu to distribute huge non-contact handwashing basins in the city’s public markets.

This way, he said marketgoers and personnel will be encouraged to wash their hands before and after going to the markets or as often as they want.

The mayor has consistently called on the public to strictly observe the protocols against COVID-19, such as the wearing of masks, frequent hand washing and observing social distancing.