This is a briefing on the issuances as of August 3, 2020 on the following matters in relation to the COVID-19 pandemic: A. Metro Manila will be under Modified Enhanced Community Quarantine (MECQ) again from August 4 to 18B. Intellectual Property Office (IPOPHL) Further Extends until August 10, 2020 the Deadline for Filings and Payments Due for the Period of July 20 to August 7, 2020A ...
This is a briefing on the issuances as of August 1, 2020 on the following matters in relation to the COVID-19 pandemic: A. General Community Quarantine (GCQ) over Metro Manila Again Extended until August 15, 2020 B. Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Allows More Business Establishments to Operate During GCQ from August 1, 2020 A ...
This is a briefing on the issuances as of July 29, 2020 on the following matters in relation to the COVID-19 pandemic: A. Intellectual Property Office (IPOPHL) Further Extends until August 4 the Deadline for Filings and Payments Due for the Period of July 20-30, 2020 B. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Discourages Physical Filing of Mandatory Disclosure Form (MDF) which is Due on July 31, 2020 C ...
This is a briefing on the issuances as of July 22, 2020 on the following matters in relation to the COVID-19 pandemic: A. Intellectual Property Office (IPOPHL) Suspends Services at its Main Office from July 20 to 27, and Extends Deadlines B. BIR Amends Reportorial Requirements of Banks and Other Lenders that Granted a Grace Period on Loans that were due during the Enhanced Community Quarantine C. New Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) Form for Related Party Transactions A ...
This is a briefing on the issuances as of July 16, 2020 on the following matters in relation to the COVID-19 pandemic: A. General Community Quarantine (GCQ) over Metro Manila is Further Extended until July 31, 2020 B. Recent Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Issuances and Notices B.1. SEC Main Office Closed until July 26, 2020 B.2. SEC Notice to all Non-stock Corporations on the New Deadline for the Online Filing or Submission of the Mandatory Disclosure Form (MDF) B.3 ...
The Philippine Competition Commission (PCC) has issued its first merger clearance under the implementing rules and regulations of the Philippine Competition Act. The clearance was for the proposed acquisition by Sanofi of the CHC business of Boehringer Ingelham. SyCipLaw acted as Philippine antitrust counsel to Sanofi. Download the Client Alert for more information on the first merger clearance of PCC under the Philippine Competition Act ...
The National Privacy Commission (NPC) has issued the implementing rules and regulations of the Data Privacy Act of 2012. The rules, promulgated on August 24, 2016, will take effect 15 days from publication in the Official Gazette. Download the Client Alert for more information on the new implementing rules for Philippine Data Privacy Act. This alert was authored by SyCipLaw partner Rose Marie M. King-Dominguez and associate Aaron Jeric M. Legaspi ...
In Commissioner of Internal Revenue v Ruben U Yu,(1) the Court of Tax Appeals (CTA) en banc clarified that the 180-day period referred to in section 228 of the Tax Code, as amended, applies only to the period within which the Commissioner of Internal Revenue (CIR), or their duly authorised representative, may act on a protest against a tax assessment ...
The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP, the Central Bank of the Philippines) has issued Memorandum No. M-2020-0741 (Implementing Rules and Regulations and Frequently Asked Questions on Section 4(uu) of the R.A. No. 11494 or the “Bayanihan to Recover as One Act” (Bayanihan 2)) to guide BSP-Supervised Financial Institutions (BSFIs) on the implementation of the one-time 60-day grace period granted to debtors under Bayanihan 2 for loan payments falling due by December 31, 2020 ...
The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP, the Central Bank of the Philippines) has issued Circular No. 1105, Series of 20201 (Digital Bank Circular) dated December 2, 2020 to provide guidelines on the establishment of digital banks. This circular took effect on December 23, 2020 and was promulgated pursuant to the Monetary Board’s authority under Section 3.2(g) of the General Banking Law of 2000 to create other classes of banks ...
The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (“BSP”; the Philippine Central Bank) issued BSP Circular No. 1149, series of 2022 (Guidelines on the Integration of Sustainability Principles in Investment Activities of Banks). The Circular sets expectations on the prudent conduct of investment activities, as well as minimum practices that banks must establish for the management and control of investment-related risks ...
This is a briefing on the following issuances as of April 19, 2020 in relation to the COVID-19 pandemic: A. Extension of Periods for the Filing and Submission of Various Documents and Payment of TaxesB. Mandatory Disclosure of Personal Information of COVID-19 Patients C. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Issuances D. Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP, the Central Bank of the Philippines) Issuances E. Insurance Commission (IC) Issuances F ...
The Philippines is party to double taxation agreements (DTAs) with 43 countries. These DTAs contain exchange of information (EOI) provisions, which oblige contracting parties to exchange details that are needed to carry out the provisions of the DTAs or the domestic laws that concern the taxes applicable to the DTAs. To this end, the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) consistently develops its EOI programme and has, in the past decade, circulated administrative issuances to facilitate EOI ...
Introduction Prior to the implementation of the Corporate Recovery and Tax Incentives for Enterprises Act (the CREATE Act), the Philippines adhered to the "cross-border doctrine", under which ecozones and freeport zones were considered foreign territories, even if they were situated within the Philippines ...
Former Secretary of Finance Cesar Purisima issued Revenue Regulation ("RR") No. 3-2016 prescribing the policies and guidelines on the adoption of credit, debit, and prepaid cards as an additional mode of payment for internal revenue taxes. Credit, debit, and prepaid cards were made available as an additional mode of payment in order to ease the burden to taxpayers in the payment of their taxes ...
On September 11, 2020, the Philippine President signed into law Republic Act No. 11494, otherwise known as the “Bayanihan to Recover as One Act” (Bayanihan 2). It is intended to, among other things, accelerate the recovery of the Philippine economy from the downturn caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Bayanihan 2 will become effective immediately upon its publication in a newspaper of general circulation or in the Official Gazette ...
The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP, the Central Bank of the Philippines) issued on July 7, 2020, Circular No. 1089, which sets out the Payment System Oversight Framework (Oversight Framework). This is in line with the BSP’s mandate under Republic Act No. 11127 (National Payment Systems Act) to ensure a safe, efficient, and reliable national payment system through an effective regulatory and governance framework ...
With workers returning to work on-site, the Department of Labor and Employment (“DOLE”) issuedLabor Advisory No. 1, series of 2022, or the Isolation and Quarantine Leaves of Employees in the Private Sector, to guide employers ...
Developments in light of COVID-19 Unlike previous years, there were no major legislations or government regulations on labor and employment issues in 2021 ...
In its flagship report entitled Global Economic Prospects released in January, the World Bank observed: “The Philippines is particularly weak with regard to transport and trade-related infrastructure … with particularly low rankings for the quality of its seaports and airports. About one-quarter of the population remains without electricity.” Yet growth in the Philippines is projected to accelerate to 6 ...
SyCipLaw has authored the Philippine chapter of Lexology In-Depth: Artificial Intelligence Law. The Lexology guide seeks to provide a global overview of the fast-evolving state of law and practice surrounding artificial intelligence (AI) systems and applications. With a focus on recent developments and their practical implications, the guide examines key issues including legislative initiatives, government policy, AI risk management principles and standards, and enforcement actions ...
The Construction Industry Arbitration Commission of the Philippines (“CIAC”) has original and exclusive jurisdiction over disputes arising from, or connected with, contracts entered into by parties involved in construction in the Philippines. Construction disputes may range from contractual money claims to disputes over the execution of the construction work. Construction disputes may involve government or private contracts ...
The members of the National Privacy Commission (NPC) have been named. President Benigno Aquino III has appointed Raymond Liboro as the Commissioner of the National Privacy Commission. Prior to his appointment, Liboro was the officer-in-charge of the Department of Science and Technology's Science and Technology Information Institute. The following are the Deputy Privacy Commissioners: Dondi Mapa and Ivy Patdu ...
The first set of commissioners to constitute the Philippine Competition Commission (PCC) has just been appointed. The PCC, a five member body created by the Philippine Competition Act (passed into law in July 21, 2015), is mandated to implement the national competition policy. Vested with a broad range of powers, it can conduct administrative inquiries, institute civil or criminal proceedings before the courts, and review proposed mergers and acquisitions ...
The Anti-Money Laundering Act (AMLA) has been further amended by Republic Act No. 11521,1 which took effect on February 8, 2021 (or immediately after its publication in the Official Gazette). (The new provisions introduced by R.A. 11521 to the AMLA are underlined below for ease of reference.) A. Spotlight on New Provisions B. Covered Persons and Covered Transactions C. Targeted Financial Sanctions D. Other Relevant Provisions A. Spotlight on New Provisions R.A ...
