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There is a world of difference pre-pandemic and the so-called “post-pandemic”, and for companies, these differences go all the way to the top. Proactivity is now required of board directors as they strive to simultaneously address business-model disruptions against a slowing global economy, and digitalization against effective management of cyber risks, among numerous other issues.

Amid new government issuances and pandemic constraints, flexible work arrangements, especially remote work or “work-from-home” (WFH) setups as we call them, continue to be implemented by businesses. Government orders allowing only essential businesses to keep their physical locations open forced unprepared employers to adopt flexible work options on the fly.

At one point or another, even the most loyal employees have considered turning in their resignation letters and clearing their desks, anticipating the next job opportunity that comes their way. In fact, high employee turnover rates leave businesses constantly wondering about the factors that make employees quit, or at least, consider quitting.

The Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) released Advisory 2021-039 to inform the public about the guidelines in claiming the Covid-19 Vaccine Injury Compensation Package and the benefits under the National Health Insurance Program. The Covid-19 National Vaccine Indemnity Fund, established under the Covid-19 Vaccination Program Act of 2021 (Republic Act 11525), would compensate inoculated persons in case of death, permanent disability and hospital confinement for serious adverse effects of the vaccine.

Perhaps one of the most common TV and movie tropes that is quintessentially Filipino is the “agawan ng mana”. This makes for entertainment that pushes the Filipino viewer to the edge of his seat. Rightfully so, settling the estate of the decedent among the heirs is common among Filipino families, not to mention the stress in complying with documentary requirements just so properties could be transferred properly and legally to the heirs. On the other hand, the government, in recent times, has promulgated tax amnesties for the purpose of settling estates of deceased persons.

The IATF adjusted the COVID-19 alert levels of certain areas such as that of the National Capital Region, where the alert level is now at 3. Through a resolution, the authorities relaxed quarantine restrictions over the coming days to provide more mobility to people in certain trades. According to the 2021 Asian Development Outlook update, the Philippine economy is recovering and rebounding at a growth rate of 11.8% from the second quarter due to the government’s expansionary fiscal policy, which it resorted to in order to fund the pandemic response, vaccination, and infrastructure projects. From these economic indicators, businesses and investors may expect that the Philippines to get back on track soon.

Last Sept. 22, 2021, President Rodrigo Duterte signed into law Republic Act (RA) 11590 or an “Act Taxing Philippine Offshore Gaming Operations (Pogo),” which amends certain provisions in the National Internal Revenue Code to clarify taxes imposed on Pogos. This will provide clearer taxation guidelines and will strengthen the power of the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) to collect taxes from Pogos.

The pandemic supercharged the growth of the digital economy; the implementation of community quarantines forced us to stay at home and encouraged the use of online platforms to obtain our basic needs. Many continue to heavily rely on the internet and digital services for education, work, and entertainment. There’s no denying that online transactions quickly became part of our new normal. And while these offer advantages to us as consumers, it allows foreign online retailers to penetrate the Philippine market without having to invest or employ Filipinos. Thus, to ensure fair competition between traditional and digital businesses, and further generate funding for the pandemic recover effort, legislators were swift to propose a tax on these digital businesses.