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I recall that 30 years ago, you could count all the television channels with your fingers in one hand. So a typical family usually watched one chosen program every evening. That was the era of limited options via limited media, i.e., print, radio and TV.

Twenty years after the 1997 comprehensive tax reform program and we are embarking on the next big one.

Companies are on a buying spree, making the most of cheap financing to snap up compatible businesses across the world. In January 2017, the value of M&A deals hit a six-year high worldwide. In Europe it set an 11-year record and cross-border deals were estimated to be at their highest level since 2006

Every time I am asked to give an advice to new hires in our Firm, I never failed to mention to them: “Read books!” Also, I usually make a random survey of new hires who are habitual readers by a show of hands, and sadly, those who read are less than 10 percent of the batch. In this age of YouTube, mobile gaming, Twitter, Facebook and Instagram, books, indeed, have a formidable competition. The youth find it easier to surf than to read. Nowadays, reading is likely seen by the youth as a chore and, to some, even geeky; not realizing the many benefits of reading. How do we, indeed, entice the young to read and see the benefits of reading?

FILIPINOS spend more time on social media than anyone else in the world, according to a recent global study conducted by the social media marketing firm, We Are Social. As of January this year, 58 percent of the country’s population (around 60 million Filipinos) is connected to the internet. The study added that in 2016, Filipinos spent an average of 4.17 hours daily on social media; 3.6 hours of which (three-quarters of that time) were spent using their smartphones.

Does the current Bank Secrecy law serve as a citadel for investors or depositors against possible abuse of power by the government, or does it provide a shield for tax evaders? Balancing of interests is a continuing challenge for the State, and with the advent of the tax reforms of the Duterte administration and with the introduction of House Bill 4774, the need to balance these interests once again arises.

How do I value my company, a client recently asked me. The client’s company has been in the red, losing money for years, but a buyer is still interested. Many of the entrepreneurs have been asking the same question: how does one figure out the value of a business? For a famous example, how did Jollibee come up with a P3 billion price for a 70 percent stake in Mang Inasal way back in 2010?

February 14, Valentine’s Day. To some of us, it’s the most romantic day of the year. Others dread it. But to Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA)-registered entities, it’s a mere 14 days before the submission of its latest requirement.