By Jh0n Aldrin Casinas
Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) Board Member Sandra Cam backed the plans of some lawmakers to file a measure that would exempt the charity agency from tax.
Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) board member Sandra Cam
(ALI VICOY / MANILA BULLETIN FILE PHOTO)
She said that with the tax exemption, PCSO could provide more financial assistance to people in dire need.
“We are a charity agency supposedly hindi dapat kami i-tax kasi kung ano man pumapasok sa amin ibinibigay din namin (We are a charity agency supposedly, we should not be taxed, what is going to us, we release it)," Cam told reporters recently.
The PCSO official made the statement when she was asked for a comment on the proposal of Albay first district Rep. Edcel Lagman, agreeing with PCSO General Manager Royina Marzan-Garma to exempt the agency from tax.
Garma proposed the idea of exempting the agency from tax during a House hearing in August.
She said that PCSO paid around P16.7 billion in taxes in 2018 after the agency had a total of P63 billion earnings from its games.
The Albay legislator pointed out that the agency’s tax obligation was much bigger than its fund allocated for charity.
Negros Oriental third district Rep. Arnie Teves also said he will file a bill that will seek to remove the mandatory contributions of the PCSO to other agencies.
Surigao del Sur first district Rep. Prospero Pichay Jr. concurred with the idea of Lagman and Teves, proposing that PCSO should be exempted from tax. He added that the charity agency should have fiscal autonomy.
Institutionalized in 1995, the Individual Medical Assistance Program (IMAP) is considered as the flagship program of the PCSO which provide financial aid to people in need of assistance to pay for their hospital bills or medicines.
In addition, the charity agency also renders financial assistance to some government and non-government institutions.
“We encourage everyone to give to PCSO by supporting and patronizing our products,” Garma stressed.
“With your P10 or P24, you do not only have a shot to becoming a millionaire but also get a chance to do the noble act of helping others through the charity programs and services of PCSO,” she added.