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This Lenten season we are once again reminded of various biblical and historical accounts about Jesus of Nazareth (4 B.C. -- 30 A.D.), the central figure of Christianity. Probably the most notable thing about him is his fondness for the company of tax collectors. From the tax collectors of the past to the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) of the present, the tax man has been stereotyped and has received more than his share of contempt, and even ridicule.

“To travel is to live.” This famous quote from Hans Christian Anderson inspired millions of people to travel abroad and live the life, turning tourism into one of the most profitable industries for more than a hundred years.

“The biggest risk is not taking any risk.” — Mark Zuckerberg Chairman, CEO and co-founder of Facebook Companies cannot forgo beneficial opportunities. However, we find it easy to forget that risk and opportunity are a duality and companies need to consider both sides. They could lose a substantial sum of money and damage their reputation if they fail to identify risk and avert it in time. And yet, risk-taking is one of the essential attributes of a successful organization.

Have plans for the Holy Week? For individual and corporate taxpayers with an accounting year ending Dec. 31, plans for this upcoming Lenten season should include the preparation of the annual income tax filing. Why? Because this year’s due date falls on April 17th (since April 15th falls on Black Saturday which is a holiday). The timing can be a hassle considering that it is right after the holidays.

6:04 a.m.: My wife needs the car, so I am using Uber today. As we traverse the 17-kilometer route, I chat briefly with Michael, who is driving me to Makati today. He is surprised with his designation to pick me up, considering he was a good four kilometers away from the pickup point. Apparently, this is only one of his concerns as a partner-driver; he is also concerned that his service rate is plummeting. I don’t empathize with him much because, at this point, all I want to do is take a nap.

PREVIOUSLY, third party information such as Reconciliation of Listing for Enforcement (RELIEF) and Bureau of Customs (BOC) data are generated only upon request of investigating offices conducting the tax audits.

Late last year, I read a post on social media about a bride-to-be’s woes on the costs of “taking things to the next level” -- i.e., having a wedding. The woman took to social media to express her surprise (read: frustration) at the cost of reserving a church for a wedding (P35,000), having wedding announcements (P1,000 at most and this varies among different parishes), and behold, the opening of the church doors for the bride to enter and attend her wedding ceremony (another P1,000!). The last one struck a nerve. One thousand pesos. For opening the church doors.

In the same way the flight attendant instructs passengers to “put on your own oxygen mask first before assisting others” in case of an emergency on board a plane, so should top management take the lead and be good role models of fitness, wellness and health.