CALAMBA CITY, Laguna – The city government on Friday evening announced two landmark ordinances that provide fiscal and tax incentives to private businesses in the city for employing senior citizens and persons with disability (PWDs).
City Mayor Justin Marc SB Chipeco approved City Ordinance 648, which provides incentives to local private companies that hire the services of senior citizens, and City Ordinance 649, which also grants incentives to companies that employ PWDs. The ordinances take effect immediately.
“Sa tulong ng mga establisimiyento at ng ating Vice Mayor Ross Rizal at mga konsehal ng Sangguniang Panlungsod ay aking nilagdaan kaagad ang mga ordinansang ipinasa para magbigay ng insentibo sa ating mga namumuhunan o comercio para kunin ninyo at i-hire ninyo sa inyong mga workplace ang ating mga senior citizens at PWDs (With the help of our Vice Mayor Ross Rizal and City Legislative Councilors, I have signed immediately the ordinances giving incentives to investors and commercial establishments for you to hire and employ in your workplace our senior citizens and PWDs),” Chipeco said during the city’s 276th Founding Anniversary celebration at the “Kalan-Banga” landmark.
He described the ordinances as a historic initiative by the local government and acknowledged private companies for their corporate social responsibility.
“Kayo ay namumuhunan at kumikita ditto. Ano ba naman at kahit konti lang ibalik natin sa taumbayan. Meron pong insentibong makukuha sa ating city government. Sana po tulungan naman po ang mga lolo’t lola nila, ang mga tatay at nanay nila (You are investing and gaining profit here, so why not share a little of your earnings to the people. You will receive incentives from our city government. I hope you will help the grandpas and grandmas, fathers and mothers of our constituents),” the mayor said.
He also enjoined city folk here to patronize establishments that employ senior citizens and PWDs to encourage other companies to follow suit.
“Doon tayo o-order, kumain o bibili sa mga establisimiyento na nag-hire ng ating mga senior citizens at PWDs upang lalong matulungan natin sila (Let us order, dine or buy at the establishments that hire our senior citizens and PWDs so we could ensure helping them),” Chipeco said.
“It is really a momentous day sapagkat nakikita natin na pag nagtutulong-tulong ang executive at legislative branch ng ating local government ay marami po tayong magagawa (It is really a momentous day because we witness that through the cooperation and support of both the executive and legislative branches of our local government, we could do a lot better),” he said.
The business executives and representatives of various companies and establishments, senior citizens associations, such as the Calamba City Federation of Senior Citizens Associations, United Oldies, Elderly Council, Damayan, Inc. and PWD organizations also took turns in signing the Covenant that was placed on a standee with Chipeco, Rizal, City Councilors and Department of Labor and Employment 4A (Calabarzon) Assistant Regional Director Nepomuceno Leaño and DOLE-Laguna provincial director Guido Recio.
The Covenant signatories, as representatives of their respective sectors, “whole-heartedly commit to support the effective implementation of the City Ordinances 648 and 649 series of 2018.”
The signatories also expressed full support for the Calamba city government’s advocacy to provide meaningful and gainful activities to all qualified senior citizens and PWDs thereby uplifting their lives as productive members of the community. (Saul Pa-a/PNA)
