Vision
PCCI is the voice of Philippine business recognized by government and international institutions. As a proactive catalyst of development, PCCI promotes and supports the drive for globally competitive Philippine enterprises in partnership with government, local chambers, and other business organizations.
Mission
The main responsibility of PCCI is to provide focused advocacy for business growth and sustainable development by providing business services for the advancement of grassroots entrepreneurship, chamber development, international trade relations, business innovation and excellence, and operating efficiency. These will be achieved through a professional organization working in close cooperation with various stakeholders in public and private sectors.
PCCI Legislative Committee identifies priority agenda for administration
The Legislative Committee headed by Atty. Benedicta Du-Baladad met to review PCCI’s priority legislative agenda.
The Committee acknowledged the Duterte Administration for the passage of several game-changing measures including the Ease of Doing Business Act, Package 1 (Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion or TRAIN) and 2 (Corporate Recovery and Tax Incentives Rationalization Act or CREATE) of the Comprehensive Tax Reform Program (CTRP), and very recently, the Foreign Investment Amendment Act and the Public Service Amendment Act.
With a little over two months left before the national election is held and around 3 months before the 19th Congress is officially convened, the Committee streamlined the list of its priority bills and identified which can still be passed before the 18th Congress ends, as well as which advocacies should be carried over into the next administration. These include Package 3 (Property Valuation and Assessment) and 4 (Taxation on Interests, Dividends and Financial Intermediaries) of the CTRP), the MSME Amendment Act, the Philippine Warehouse Receipt Amendment Act and the Open Access in Data Transmission Act, all of which are considered low-hanging having been passed by the House of Representatives.
Suggested to be included in the priority for the new administration are the Amendments to the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Law and Tree Growing Act and Livelihood Development Act bills.
For 2022-2023, the Committee is planning to expand its mandate to also cover the legislations that overlap with the concerns of the other sectoral committees of PCCI, such as agriculture, industry and trade, and digital economy and science & technology.
PCCI President George Barcelon asked the Committee to come up with a scorecard both on the priority measures that have been acted on by Congress and on the implementation of the enacted laws to identify the gaps in implementation.
Aside from Atty. Baladad, the committee is comprised of co-Chairs, Atty. Anthony Bengzon of the Bengzon Negre and Untalan IP Law Firm, and Mr. Calixto V. Chikiamco of MRM Studios and the Foundation for Economic Freedom, and members, Ms. Flordeliza Leong of Philexport, Atty. William Varias of Philip Morris, and Mr. George T. Siy of Beauty Profile and Federation of the Filipino-Chinese Chambers of Commerce and Industry. --- Alyanna Victoria Manuel