If you value your family, your personal safety and if also you have a lot of financial ends to meet, then you must avoid buying electric vehicles (EVs). With so many woke people, climate change extremists and Silicon Valley believers around the world, there is a sinister collective moment to deceive people into buying EVs – especially electric cars for personal/family use – while also campaigning to have combustion engines and fossil fuels banned. These Satanic Leftists are even conspiring with technology developers, government officials and electric vehicle manufacturers to manipulate people into owning EVs.
Of course, that sinister pro-EVs movement DOES NOT CARE about your personal safety and your family at all. They do not want you to realize that electric cars are not only very flawed and disadvantageous….the EVs can also kill you and destroy properties and harm entire communities.
To put things in perspective, watch the selected videos posted below. I encourage you to take time to watch each of them from start to finish and take notes about the key details.
There is also one particular issue that electric vehicle fanatics do not want to talk about and prefer to ignore…the number of deaths caused by electric cars that have gone wrong. Watch the video below.
And then there are also electric bikes (e-bikes) and electric scooters (e-scooters) that cause fire. Watch the selected videos below.
The radicalized believers of EVs do not want you to realize the truth and the facts that electric cars (the most commercially available EV in the market) could spark into a fire hazard that will take so much effort to put out. Imagine yourself getting trapped inside the electric car as it shorts and burst into flames which could kill you and your companions. Electric cars are also very expensive to repair and the number of public electric chargers are still not so many. E-bikes and e-scooters, as seen above, are also dangerous to have.
Let me end this piece by asking you readers: Did you encounter people who tried to fool you into buying an electric car or an electric bike? Are the electric vehicle manufacturers honest and transparent when they try to sell EVs to you? Right now, do you prefer to buy an electric car or a car that runs on fossil fuel?
Recently the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) announced that July 14, 2024, is the new deadline for online businesses to transition to the new withholding tax system, according to a GMA Network news report. Previously the deadline was April 15, 2024 and online businesses with annual earnings of over P500,000 were to be covered by the 1% withholding tax.
To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the GMA news article. Some parts in boldface…
The Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) announced Tuesday that it has extended the deadline for online merchants to transition to the new withholding tax system by 90 days.
According to the agency, Revenue Memorandum Circular No. 55-2024 extended the transitory period for compliance with Revenue Regulations (RR) No. 16-2023 until July 14 after considering the private sector’s request on the implementation.
“This 90-day extension of the transitory period under RR No. 16-2023 shows the BIR’s commitment in listening to the voice of the private sector,” BIR Commissioner Jun Lumagui said in a statement.
“This is part of my administration’s thrust on Excellent Taxpayer Service. We hear the thoughts of the private sector, and if the same is reasonable, then we make policy adjustments for the benefit of the Filipino people,” added Lumagui.
Under RR No. 16-2023, one-half of the gross remittances of e-marketplace operations and digital financial services providers to the sellers or merchants for goods or services paid through their platform shall be subject to a 1% creditable withholding tax.
The BIR said that the online transactions industry has experienced growth during and after the coronavirus pandemic but it appeared that many online sellers were not paying their share in taxes.
RR No. 16-2023 was signed by Lumagui and Finance Secretary Benjamin Diokno in December 2023.
Let me end this piece by asking you readers: What is your reaction to this recent development? Do you think that the new deadline will give all online businesses here in the Philippines enough time to transition into the new withholding tax system?
To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the PNA news article. Some parts in boldface…
The Philippines has recorded more than 4.82 million foreign visitor arrivals, including Filipinos based overseas, breaching its target even before year end, Department of Tourism (DOT) Secretary Christina Frasco said Tuesday.
DOT data show that as of Nov. 28, a huge chunk of foreign arrivals comes from South Korea with 1,275,887 foreign visitors and 4,231 overseas Filipinos for a total of 26.46 percent.
It is followed by the United States with 923,409 foreign visitors and 123,828 overseas Filipinos and Japan with 323,029 and 49,299 overseas Filipinos.
Other international arrivals in the top 10 come from Australia, China, Canada, Taiwan, Singapore, United Kingdom and Malaysia.
The foreign arrivals have brought PHP404 billion to the economy.
Citing a report by economic managers, Frasco said this manifests that Philippine tourism is the second highest driver of economic growth for the Philippines.
“This cements our position as one of the strongest pillars of the Philippine economy that employs no less than 5.35 million Filipinos in the tourism industry sector, ensuring jobs, livelihood, and the well-being of communities all over the country,” she added.
Let me end this piece by asking you readers: What do you think about this recent development? Are you satisfied with what was accomplished this year with regards to foreign tourist arrivals and the related revenues? Are you confident that the Philippines is on-track to becoming a major tourism player in Asia by the year 2028? Do you trust the Department of Tourism more now that they were able to hit their 2023 targets already? Do you think foreign tourist arrivals here in the Philippines will reach the 5,000,000 mark before the end of the year? Could it be possible that the gains of Philippine tourism will help the nation achieve at least 6% economic growth this year?
Those of you who have been engaging with online selling, you better brace yourselves as the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) hopes to begin imposing a creditable withholding tax before December 2023, according to a BusinessWorld news report. Specifically, this move applies on partner-merchants of online platforms.
To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the BusinessWorld news article. Some parts in boldface…
THE BUREAU of Internal Revenue (BIR) is hoping to start imposing a creditable withholding tax on partner-merchants of online platforms before the start of December, an official said.
“The process could be shorter, and we might just come up with it before the start of December. It will not be unreasonable to expect it before the start of December,” BIR Assistant Commissioner Jethro M. Sabariaga told reporters on the sidelines of the SGV Tax Symposium last week.
“The longer you withhold this release, you’re hobbling a significant portion of today’s economic transactions,” he added.
The BIR last week released the final draft of the amendments to Revenue Regulation No. 2-98 which currently does not cover income payments by online platform providers.
Under the final draft, the BIR would impose a withholding tax of 1% on one half of the gross remittances by domestic e-marketplace operators to the online merchants for the goods or services sold through their facility.
However, the withholding tax will not apply if annual total gross remittances to an online merchant for the past taxable year has not exceeded P250,000, or if the cumulative gross remittances to an online merchant in a taxable year has not yet exceeded P250,000.
Also exempted are online merchants who are part of a cooperative duly registered with the BIR with a valid Certificate of Tax Exemption.
Mr. Sabariaga said the BIR took note of the suggestions and objections to the draft rules raised by affected sectors. The BIR’s deadline for comments from stakeholders on the final draft ended on Oct. 27.
“This will all be taken into consideration and then be studied and then the final draft will be released and exposed,” he said.
Since then, Mr. Sabariaga said the agency consulted with various industries to come up with the latest version of the draft.
“It’s the first exposition of the draft, you have to consider the various industries, the applicability of the withholding (tax) on the various industries, the rates, the economic provisions of it,” he added
The BIR has been seeking ways to tax the digital economy, particularly as e-commerce surged during the pandemic.
In 2022, the digital economy contributed P2.08 trillion, equivalent to 9.4% of gross domestic product. Of this, e-commerce had the highest growth at 26.5%, with its share to the economy reaching 20% or P416.12 billion.
Let me end this piece by asking you readers: What is your reaction to this recent development? If you have been regularly selling online, do you think you will be covered by the planned withholding tax by the BIR? Do you have all financial and legal records prepared?
Starfield, the epic sci-fi role-playing game (sci-fi RPG) from Bethesda Game Studios (Oblivion, Skyrim and Fallout 4), tremendously boosted the sales of Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S (including the newer version) in the United Kingdom (UK) shortly after its very strong launch there, according to a report published by GamesIndustry.biz. Also available on Windows PC and Windows PC plus Xbox Game Pass (XGP), it is not surprising to see many gamers making decisions to buy the game brand new which helped it top the UK software sales chart.
To put things in perspective, posted below is the excerpt from the GamesIndustry.biz report. Some parts in boldface…
The launch of Starfield and a new version of the Xbox Series S significantly boosted sales of Microsoft consoles.
GfK data reveals that Xbox Series S and X sales jumped 76% week-on-week for the seven days ending September 2nd.
GfK games boss Dorian Bloch says that the week is the biggest this year (so far) for Xbox Series S and X hardware sales in the UK. Meanwhile, the week ending September 9th is currently the second best week.
This was partially due to the launch of the new Xbox Series S 1TB edition, which accounted for 24% of all Xbox consoles sold during that week. The new version of Xbox Series S is roughly £50 more expensive than the standard Series S model.
Starfield is filled with a lot of quests, activities, exploration and sci-fi action that really engaged millions of people worldwide as I write this. The scope of the game is very immense.
But the jump in Xbox console sales was also due to the launch of Starfield. The Bethesda game officially launched on September 6th, but it was available on September 1st to those who were willing to pay for the Premium Edition. As a result, the standard Xbox Series X console posted a 46% increase in sales for the week ending September 2nd in the UK.
“It is currently the best week this year for Series X,” Bloch says. “And the following week [ending September 9th] is the fourth best for X. In-between is week one and week six, which were early year blips.”
Bloch says that the Xbox consoles overall had a decent showing for the week ending September 9th, with the new Series S 1TB model accounting for 20% of sales.
As mentioned earlier, Starfield is also a software sales success in the UK which GamesIndustry.biz also reported separately. Check out the excerpt below…
Starfield has topped the UK physical charts this week.GfK’s report showed that the space-action RPG sold more physical copies on Xbox than it did on PC.
Sarah Morgan is one of the key characters in Starfield. Interacting with her added a lot to the gameplay and engagement. Take note that Morgan is just one of the Constellation characters you will interact with.
Starfield’s premium upgrade (a box with a code that provided early access to the digital version) has fallen to No.34 after debuting at No.7 last week. This version experienced a 71% decrease in sales due to the game’s wider release on September 6.
As confirmed by the news above, the Xbox-exclusive Starfield succeeded big-time at retail in the UK and as Bethesda’s biggest launch of all-time (on a worldwide scale). Think deeply about those huge achievements that were realized without PlayStation at all. While lots of gamers in the UK spent a lot of money on the sci-fi RPG and Xbox Series consoles, there are also many Starfield players enjoying it on Xbox Game Pass. In fact, a lot of XGP subscribers paid for the early access to the game and that only showed how heavily anticipated Starfield really is as Bethesda’s newest intellectual property (IP). Apart from that, there is still a long way to go before the month of September 2023 ends.
The way the Xbox-exclusive game is succeeding as I write this, it is very likely that Starfield will grow into a franchise of in-depth RPGs in the years to come. Like Halo and the Forza Motorsport, Starfield will be an Xbox-exclusive franchise of games that fans and RPG-loving gamers can look forward to.
Even without PlayStation, Starfield became a massive success at launch in terms of software sales, Xbox Game Pass subscriptions and Xbox hardware sales.
On my part, I have been playing Starfield on my Xbox Series X for more than a week now and the more I played it, the more enjoyable and even intriguing the gameplay experience turned out to be. There is just so much to have fun with this sci-fi RPG and by now, I have gotten myself more oriented with the user interface and the functions laid out.
With regards to the shooting (specifically with on-foot activities), the precision and response here are comparable with those in Fallout 4. Flying spaceships and using the controls for flight and weapons are really good and responsive enough.
While I won’t be spoiling plot details here, I can say that the gameplay experience has been pretty varied when I do the main quests, side quests, activities and when I freely explore the many in-game environments from one planet to another across different star systems. Check out the images and their descriptions below…
There is nothing like spotting Ecliptic mercenaries marching together in the middle of nowhere followed by my character and companion taking them out by surprise. If you encounter a random situation like this, engage with it.
I love the high-level of visual details as well as the impressive physics Bethesda prepared for space battles.
After defeating several armed bad guys and some dangerous turrets at a very discreet location, I got myself a brand new space ship! I now have four space ships as of this writing!
There is nothing like being able to board an enemy space ship, defeating all the bad guys and taking the valuables (including the opportunity to claim the ship as your own if your pilot skill is high enough). Starfield allows such opportunities to happen during space ship battles. Don’t just focus on destroying the enemy ship entirely as you will miss out on the opportunity to board it.
Starfield is very enjoyable and I believe that it still has a lot more to offer. I finished several side quests and activities, and still there is a lot more to discover and engage with! Of all the Xbox-exclusive games released in this current console generation, Starfield is already the most engaging one I have been playing, even more so than Halo Infinite.
If you have been engaging on selling items or services online, you should be aware that the Philippines’ authority on taxation the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) is constantly watching you and it is seeking ways to tax you, according to a BusinessWorld news report. Already the BIR has been communicating with the e-commerce platforms.
To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the BusinessWorld news article. Some parts in boldface…
THE BUREAU of Internal Revenue (BIR) is looking to collect taxes from online sellers on e-commerce platforms more efficiently.
BIR Commissioner Romeo D. Lumagui said it is difficult to monitor taxes on individual online sellers on e-commerce platforms.
“We’re in constant communication with the platforms, because it’s a challenge to monitor. We’re thinking of ways to approach it because if we look at individual online sellers, it’s a bit difficult. It’s a challenge,” he told reporters on Thursday evening.
Mr. Lumagui said the BIR is prioritizing ways to better collect taxes from online sellers and other new platforms this year.
The pandemic forced many entrepreneurs to shift to online selling using e-commerce platforms like Shopee and Lazada, as well as social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram and Tiktok.
As of 2022, the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) estimated there are around two million entities doing business as online sellers.
In 2021, the digital economy contributed 9.6% to the country’s gross domestic product (GDP), or about P1.87 trillion. DigiPinas, the multi-sectoral initiative led by UBX Philippines Corp., earlier said the Philippine digital economy can grow to as much as $150 billion or about P8.3 trillion in the next decade.
Meanwhile, Mr. Lumagui said the BIR will tap social media influencers to help educate the public on the importance of paying taxes.
“They have reach and I think that one way of making people comply with tax obligations is to educate the people since tax is a very complicated topic not easy to understand,” he said, adding the BIR will schedule a dialogue with them.
Mr. Lumagui said the BIR will continue its efforts to collect taxes from social media influencers, since they’re earning income. He noted there are already some who are undergoing tax audits.
“What we want is to dialogue with them that these are your obligations as social media influencers, you’re earning from whatever you’re doing, so this is your responsibility as income earners,” he said.
The BIR said it collected around P44.6 billion worth of tax from online content creators and retail sales at the end of 2021.
Let me end this piece by asking you readers: What is your reaction to this recent development? If you have been selling products or services online for the last twelve months, do you think the BIR’s move with taxing your business will negatively affect Philippine e-commerce as a whole? Have you set aside enough money for potential taxation by the BIR? What is the one thing about online selling that made you stay away from selling through physical establishments like a store?
Were you able to buy a brand new laptop or desktop over the past six months? This question I asked because according to a news report by BusinessWorld, personal computer (PC) sales in the Philippines decreased by almost 49% in the 4th quarter of 2022. There is an ongoing downward trend that cannot be ignored.
To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the BusinessWorld news article. Some parts in boldface…
The personal computer (PC) market in the Philippines had 464,000 units in the fourth quarter of 2022, representing a 48.9% decrease compared to the same period the previous year, according to the International Data Corp. (IDC).
The PC market also declined 18.5% from the previous quarter.
“The market declined across notebooks and desktops,” IDC Philippines Associate Market Analyst Jeeno Velasco said in a statement on Monday.
“Household consumption was largely fulfilled and refocused on other spending activities geared toward the holiday season.”
He also noted that macroeconomic pressures further drove inventory rationalization among vendors.
Top five PC companies in the Philippines during the quarter were Acer Group, Lenovo, HP Inc, ASUS, and Dell Technologies.
The commercial space has not bounced back, as reported by the market intelligence company, due to weakened government and enterprise sectors which declined 44.7% and 25.2% from the previous quarter, respectively.
It noted that the national government has not announced any major plans involving information technology spending, while the enterprise segment is more reluctant to procure more units due to its negative financial outlook.
“Demand for desktops and the influx of company workers required to report back to work should have increased shipments for the corporate sector, but this didn’t pan out,” Mr. Velasco said.
Let me end this piece by asking you readers: What is your reaction to this recent development? Do you think economic factors like high inflation, rising interest rates and a potential recession overseas will keep the local PC market down for the rest of the year?
In the progressive city of Muntinlupa, the Kadiwa bazaar held at the quadrangle at City Hall generated over P530,000 in sales in the first two days, according to a Manila Bulletin news report. The said bazaar is a special project involving the City Government, the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), the Department of Agriculture (DAR), and the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).
To put things in perspective, posted below is the excerpt from the Manila Bulletin news report. Some parts in boldface…
The two-day Kadiwa Christmas bazaar at the Muntinlupa City hall quadrangle generated nearly P536,000 in sales to sellers.
The Kadiwa bazaar, an initiative of the Department of Agriculture in partnership with the Muntinlupa City government, Department of Trade and Industry, and Department of Social Welfare and Development, was held on Nov. 15 and 16.
Showcasing different Muntinlupa-made products, the Kadiwa bazaar was launched by Mayor Ruffy Biazon and DTI Asst. Sec. Dominic Tolentino on Nov. 15.
According to Biazon, “Gusto natin ma-promote ang produkto ng Lungsod ng Muntinlupa, dahil tayo ay proud (We want to promote Muntinlupa-made products because we are very proud of them).”
“Ang sagot sa kaunlaran ay nagkakaisang mamamayan (A united citizenry contributes to a progressive economy),” said Tolentino, a Muntinlupa resident.
On the first day, the bazaar generated P326,421 in sales and P209,223 on Nov. 16 for a total of P535,644 in two days.
Other officials at the launch of KADIWA were City Administrator Allan Cachuela, DA-ESO head Marilou Lobo, Alabang Central Market Administrator Randy Garcia, and Cristine Evangelista of DTI.
Let me end this piece by asking you readers: If you are a Muntinlupa City resident, what is your reaction to this development? Do you want to see more bazaars in the city selling more Muntinlupa-made products? Are you more confident now to spend time in bazaars or shopping centers knowing that COVID-19 can be avoided? Are the recent news reports highlighting the Department of Health’s (DOH) recent statements about COVID-19 infections making you afraid to go out?
For more South Metro Manila community news and developments, come back here soon. Also say NO to fake news, NO to irresponsible journalism, NO to misinformation, NO to plagiarists, NO to reckless publishers and NO to sinister propaganda when it comes to news and developments. For South Metro Manila community developments, member engagements, commerce and other relevant updates, join the growing South Metro Manila Facebook group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/342183059992673
In case you missed the news, the extension of Alert Level 3 in Metro Manila takes effect today and will last until November 14, 2021. This is the result of the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) recent decision which was announced this past Friday and subsequently reported by varied news organizations. Prior to the announcement, there was anticipation that the community control and restrictions on businesses and people will be eased to Alert Level 2. The local stock market saw shares drop by over a hundred points last Friday in response to the extension of Alert Level 3 for Metro Manila.
To put things in perspective, posted below is the excerpt from the Manila Bulletin’s news report. Some parts in boldface…
The Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) has decided to maintain the alert level classification of the National Capital Region (NCR) to alert level 3 for the first two weeks of November.
Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque revealed in a virtual press conference Friday, Oct. 29 that the decision was reached during the IATF’s meeting Thursday via Resolution No. 146-A.
This came about despite high expectations from the private sector and even the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG)–which touches base with the different local government units (LGUs) of the country–that the alert level in Metro Manila would be downgraded to alert level 2.
Let me end this piece by asking you readers: Do you think the IATF made the right decision to extend Alert Level 3 all over Metro Manila? If you own or managed a food/beverage business here in Metro Manila, was there an increase on your sales during the recent Alert Level 3?
Thank you for reading. If you find this article engaging, please click the like button below and also please consider sharing this article to others. If you are looking for a copywriter to create content for your special project or business, check out my services and my portfolio. Feel free to contact me as well. Also please feel free to visit my Facebook page Author Carlo Carrasco and follow me at HavenorFantasy@twitter.com
For more South Metro Manila community news and developments, come back here soon. Also say NO to fake news, NO to irresponsible journalism, NO to misinformation, NO to plagiarists, NO to reckless publishers and NO to sinister propaganda when it comes to news and developments. For South Metro Manila community developments, member engagements, commerce and other relevant updates, join the growing South Metro Manila Facebook group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/342183059992673
If you are planning to leave your city and visit another city for the purpose of buying essential goods during the 2-week enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) in Metro Manila (which is now in effect), you will be stopped at the borders as such moves are prohibited according to Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Police General Guillermo Eleazar, as reported the other day by GMA News.
To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the GMA report. Some parts in boldface…
Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Police General Guillermo Eleazar on Wednesday said consumers buying essential goods will be prohibited from crossing town or city borders during the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) in the National Capital Region (NCR) from August 6 to 20.
Interviewed on Dobol B TV, Eleazar said that every city in Metro Manila will be considered a “tiny bubble” where consumers with quarantine passes will be prohibited to pass the borders.
“Pagdating po ng ECQ, itong malaking bubble na ito ay magiging parang mga tiny bubble na po ‘yan. Yung bawat city sa loob ng Metro Manila magsisilbing isa nang bubble area,” Eleazar said.
(When the ECQ takes effect, this huge bubble will be turned into tiny bubbles. Every city within Metro Manila will serve as one bubble area.)
Police personnel will guard these borders and will not allow consumers of essential goods to cross, he added.
Eleazar noted that only workers in essential industries and other authorized persons outside residence (APORs) be allowed to pass the borders of the cities.
Based on the details of the above report and Eleazar’s statements, you will have to buy the essential goods within your locality. By now, you should be aware as to which local places you should visit to buy the goods to feed your family and keep your household clean and in order.
Even if you do not plan to travel to the next town or city to purchase the essential stuff, you will need to prepare yourselves with the following things for the next two weeks whenever you travel: a valid quarantine pass, a valid government-issued ID and a certificate of employment (note: this is essential for workers who need to report to work far away from home). It is for your own safety that you have the mentioned documents with you as you will never know if you will end up coming to a police checkpoint on the road.
Let me end this piece by asking you readers: Were you planning to buy essential goods at another town or city during the Metro Manila ECQ? Do you agree with PNP Chief Eleazar’s statement that crossing over to another city to acquire essential goods should be prohibited as the nation and local government units (LGUs) struggle to contain COVID-19 and Delta variant infections? Were you able to check with the sellers in your town or city if they have all the essential goods you really need?
Thank you for reading. If you find this article engaging, please click the like button below and also please consider sharing this article to others. If you are looking for a copywriter to create content for your special project or business, check out my services and my portfolio. Feel free to contact me as well. Also please feel free to visit my Facebook page Author Carlo Carrasco and follow me at HavenorFantasy@twitter.com
For more South Metro Manila community news and developments, come back here soon. Also say NO to fake news, NO to irresponsible journalism, NO to misinformation, NO to plagiarists, NO to reckless publishers and NO to sinister propaganda when it comes to news and developments. For South Metro Manila community developments, member engagements, commerce and other relevant updates, join the growing South Metro Manila Facebook group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/342183059992673
Author Carlo Carrasco 