Tax amnesty for the business sector, more efficient "ayuda" (aid) and social amelioration distribution, and other social welfare reform ordinances are some of the first Manila City ordinances that will be enacted by mayoral candidate Alex Lopez and his running mate Raymond Bagatsing, should they get elected in Manila.

During the Pandesal Forum at the 83-year-old Kamuning Bakery in Quezon City on Monday, Dec. 27, Lopez, when asked how he would ease the heavy taxes imposed on the business sector especially during the pandemic, said he intends to work on a city ordinance that will grant tax amnesty to business owners from January 2022 to July 2022

“We can give them an amnesty... For the next six months ay tax amnesty kaagad ang gagawin namin sa July (we will push for tax amnesties in July), one of our first five ordinances. We will give tax amnesty from January to July para makapagnegosyo sila (so they can do business).

Manila Bulletin asked Lopez about the first five city ordinances that he and his running mate are planning to prioritize.

He replied:“First ordinance, under our livelihood program, we will try to lend money to the poor. So we have to establish that, maybe it will take a long time to organize it but once we organize it, we will put our body and soul and spirit (into it) because we believe that this is the key to marginalized empowerment. We have to empower the poor. That is number one.”

“Number two is they’re giving ayuda now because of the coronavirus disease response, they’re giving ayuda now of P 1,000 gift packs for six times... siguro (for sure) about 20 percent of them have received six times the food pack. In other words, there is inefficiency in the distribution... So ang isang ordinansa natin (So one of our ordinances will be) six times one thousand, P 6,000 para hindi mahirapan ang taong bayan, bigay nalang natin sa kanila yung P 6,000 (so that our constituents will not have a hard time, we will just give them P 6,000),” he added.

Lopez explained that he would work on ordinances that will help clear the streets, including street vending ordinances and parking laws.

“We will create other ordinances that will help, siguro rationalize vending, and then rationalize or give incentives to parking para umasenso yung parking (so that parking will improve),” Lopez said.

He also aims for the improved distribution of cash gifts to senior citizens and better benefits for city frontliners.

“Tapos yung senior citizens (For senior citizens), they are supposed to receive P500 in social amelioration and P500 pension, I don’t think they received that. And give additional allowance and overtime pay to our city health workers. That’s one of the ordinances. Depende na lang kung anong nauna (It will depend on what comes first),” the mayoral aspirant said.

Lopez filed his certificate of candidacy as a substitute to Calvin Punzalan for Manila mayor on Nov. 12. Bagatsing, an actor, filed his certificate of candidacy for Manila Vice Mayor on Oct. 8.