Taxes Galore

Now, my business permit has been renewed.

And yes, was very surprised when I saw the amount I needed to pay at our city treasurer’s office… a whopping Php 10,336. That excludes the fees for the membership to a city association for computer business owners, the community tax certificates (business and personal, the latter I then found out isn’t necessary at all in processing my renewal , toink!) and the barangay clearance for business. In totality, I spent more than Php 12,000 for my business to be called legal.

But through this entry I want to vent out. You see, I spoke to many business owners who like me are renewing their licenses for 2009. While waiting for my queue in the many stations where signatures of different city departments were required, I was asked twice as to how much I paid. Twice did I get the same reaction ~ I paid too much! Since they asked me I asked them their fees in return. One businesswoman, who owns a canteen in front of my former high school, paid only Php 5,000 for her fee while the other paid only Php 4,000 for a business I failed to ask what. I wouldn’t actually care if I didn’t ask the first businesswoman how much she’s earning for a day. On an average, she’s getting Php 6,000 ~ multiply by 20 days of a month (she’s open Monday to Friday) multiply again by 10 months (I excluded the summer vacation since she said she’s closed during these months). That is a huge Php 1,200,000! That of course is too high an earning for a business tax of only Php 5,000. Considering my tax bracket, her business tax should have been 4 times my own. Even if she’s paying 6 canteen workers plus her utilities plus her supplies replenishment, it was still unfair for me. Besides, these expenses are not supposed to be factored out in computing the business tax, it was really the gross annual sales that matters.

I can’t help but be in deep thoughts when I left our City Hall yesterday. My human nature also butted-in ~ was I really a fool for paying that twelve thousand pesos for a metal signage and a piece of oslo paper declaring my cyberlink a legal business entity? But easily, I found the answer ~ I wouldn’t trade the legality of my business for anything ~ my training at work where integrity is a core value and the way I was brought up by my parents were indeed major factors why I declared the whole truth as far as my business renewal is concerned. Besides, I believe in karma!

And ooh by the way, I got news that I am still tax due on my annual withholding tax by a considerable amount again! Hmmm, I am really crying now. And silently I am uttering my prayer that the taxes I am paying will go a long way. Calling the government… Grant me peace!

My thoughts on Barack Obama

The most powerful nation in the world has sworn in its new President. We probably have read his inaugural speech everywhere (even in the many Multiply, Friendster, Facebook, Blogspot, etc. accounts). We may also have lost count of the many news flashes, both international and local, featuring the ceremonies that happened at the US Capitol on January 20, five minutes past twelve noon. To those who watched the oath-taking itself, you may also have noticed that the wordings of the US Constitution was not followed. This you may probably do not know, a second oath was administered privately on January 21. Well, thanks Wikipedia for this last tidbit.

The installation of Obama as the 44th President of the United States was indeed monumental. Not just because he was the first African-American President of America or because he was the youngest ever, but because Obama has rekindled the dying hopes of the many Americans nowadays. Faced with the biggest economic crisis US has experienced so far, Obama has promised many reforms which can help America regain its status. Some political analysts have said that these reforms were quite idealistic and are not sure wins but these do not deter the many Obama supporters to uphold the same optimism emanating from him. To them, now is the time to realize that indeed, “Change has come to America”.

Obama promised to concentrate in ending the war in Iraq and reinstall peace in Afghanistan. This, I think is the noblest promise he have uttered so far. My point: there’s no way denying that America as a nation is very powerful, yet the fact that he is willing to give up these two countries for their people to start rebuilding new nations of peace is a greater potency. The many years of us seeing the US government leading these two Islam nations do not refute the birth of other insurgencies. I am not blaming the US government for the unstable state per se of these two nations because as per history, these countries have seen long stories of mutinies from way way back. But on the other hand, I am not freeing the US government from their lengthy suppression of freedom for the Iraqis and Afghans to stand on their own. Let’s face it, a help is yes a help ~ but in the end, the US government should have honored the fact that Iraq and Afghanistan are for its people. For sure the Iraqis and the Afghans will long be indebted to the US for all its aids for their betterment but the fact remains that only they, the Iraqis and the Afghans can heal their own nations. And gladly, the newest US President is seeing it as his advocacy ~ perhaps because he believes that wars are no longer fought by means of weapons and through warfare, but by strategic alliances with nations built through mutual trust and respect. Hail Obama!

I am a pure-blooded Filipino yet I am very much affected by this newest history in the United States. I am now becoming a fan of this Harvard Law School graduate. There is still an anxiety though since one time he said he will bring the outsourcing business back to onshore. Knowing that I work for an outsourcing firm whose client is US-based, I should be alarmed. I am hoping that he realize that the Philippines is still a good outsourcing haven to the many US firms. If he’s really serious in that statement, I just hope for something that’s not too painful for both parties. I have high hopes for Obama and his ideals, his vision, his leadership. I know that under his leadership, the US will again progress and the Philippines will also gain from it.

For now, I’ll say my “Hail Obama! God Bless America!". And yes, "God Bless the Philippines – the US’s Outsourcing Mecca!”

First Good News for 2009 - Ejay made it to UP!

Was actually waiting for the results. Since January 6 when I transitioned to the Day Shift, I frequented the UPCAT Online Results Website to see if there was an update already.

I was nervous and excited to see if Ejay made it. Excited since I know how good Ejay is (modesty aside!) and somehow, I know he'll make it. I even admit that he's far more intelligent than me (it's just that he doesn't have much of my confidence hehehe). Nervous because if he won't make it to UP, then I must start planning everything that concerns his college schooling.

He passed the UPCAT and will enter the LB Campus with BS Agriculture course. His original choice was BS Chemical Engineering; but since it's a quota course his cut-off score may have fell short of the quota. Okay na din yun; we'll check pa din if he can transfer to Chem Eng. For now, this calls for a celebration!

Congrats our bunsong pogi!

New Beginning

This would be my very first entry for 2009 and I ought to make it really special.

We’re half-way through the first month of this year. And yes, in less than a dozen weeks, another candle would be added in my cake. I would be in the last hurrah of my twenties. I can’t explain if the feeling that I have right now is restlessness or excitement, or maybe a mixture of both. Nonetheless, I am still thankful for I am still here… standing strong. 29 long years… hayyy.

My tenet for this year: live life as easy as I could and take everything one step at a time. I am now at a point where I should no longer hurry. Gone was the idealistic stage ~ maturity is now my game. I no longer whine for things I do not have. I still aspire though; yet the aspirations are more of the realistic ones. No more high hopes and selfish expectations. More than anything, now is the time for me to be thankful of the many things that has come my way. Good or bad, they all molded me to the person that I am right now.

I will always be in gratitude to my family ~ Dad, Mom and my siblings. I love the realization that in the end and come what may, we’ll stick with one another. I had been the most difficult child and brother ~ strong-willed, hard-headed and egotistical. Now as I look back to the many times that I answered back to my parents and fought with my siblings, more than being shameful, I realized they all did not deserve those acts from me. And with that, I will try my very best to make up.

I also am thankful that I have my best friends who stayed with me through the good times and the bad. Yeth has been the extension of my being. Jean has been a source of strength and motivation to go on and fight. These two girls have willingly taken my blahs and my other blahs… but they had been so tolerant. I will forever cherish them and in my heart, there can never be another bitch who can beat them!

And yes, I am thankful to the few good friends that I have ~ my beloved Ts, my office friends, the friends I met through various means and the friends I met as I simply take my everyday walks. The Ts may see me always in such a merry state, my office friends may always see me in my worst mood ~ but it was such an elation that amidst all the glees and the tantrums ~ life wouldn’t be the same without them. I love them all!

A mushy blog entry? Pardon me. This may be the effect of nearing the third decade of existense! And with that, let’s start the party!