Filipino workers to enjoy higher tax exemption!

MANILA, Philippines – Filipino workers will now enjoy a P10,000 (US$223.8) tax exemption on benefits they receive starting January 2015.

According to Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz and Finance Secretary Cesar Purisima, President Benigno Aquino III approved a revenue regulation on tax exemptions, under the collective bargaining agreement and productivity incentive schemes.

“According to Secretary Purisima, the increase in tax exemption for those referred to as ‘de minimis’ benefits is just, due to the millions and millions of workers this will benefit,” Communications Secretary Sonny Coloma said on Sunday, December 28.

In a dialogue with labor groups early this year, President Benigno Aquino III raised concerns over the legality of workers’ demands for tax breaks. Labor groups wanted the BIR to exempt "de minimis" or fringe benefits from tax, and impose taxes only on the incremental amount of the negotiated minimum wage for regular workers.

On May 1, Labor Day, Nagkaisa – the biggest alliance of labor groups and workers' organizations in the country – staged a march to air their demands from government, which again included tax breaks.

Malacañang said that this approval was a product of Aquino’s discussions with workers over the past year.

It is estimated that up to P104,225 ($2,333) worth of total benefits will be tax-exempt compared to the current P94,225 ($2,109). About P17 billion ($380.5 million) worth of taxes will not be collected by the Bureau of Internal Revenue due to the increase in benefits. –Rappler.com

Ang PERA ni JUAN MAHIRAP, MIDDLE CLASS, MAYAMAN

Ang PERA ni JUAN MAHIRAP, MIDDLE CLASS, MAYAMAN
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Jollibee will operate DD @ China!

Jollibee to own, operate Dunkin' Donuts brand in China

ABS-CBNnews.com

MANILA, Philippines - Fast food giant Jollibee Foods Corp. will soon operate popular US baked goods and coffee chain Dunkin' Donuts in China.

In a disclosure to the stock exchange, JFC said its subsidiary Jollibee Worldwide is teaming up with Jasmine Asset Holding Ltd. to form a company to own and operate the Dunkin' Donuts chain in China.

Jasmine Asset Holding is a subsidiary of Asia-based investment firm RRJ Capital.

Under the joint venture agreement, Jollibee Worldwide will own 60 percent of the business, while 40 percent will be owned by Jasmine.

Jollibee and Jasmine have committed to investing up to $300 million in the joint venture company. Of the amount, Jollibee Worldwide will contribute up to $180 million.

Jollibee Worldwide will also be directly responsible for handling the Dunkin' Donuts business' day-to-day operations in China.

Jollibee and Jasmine have also agreed to execute a master franchise agreement with Dunkin' Donuts once the joint venture company is formed.

Under the master franchise agreement, the joint venture will have the exclusive right to develop Dunkin' Donuts in the following territories in China - Hong Kong, Macau, Fujian, Hunan, Jianxi, Guangdong, Hainan, Guanxi, Beijing, Tianjin, Hebei, Shangxi, Chongqing, Guizhou, Sichuan, Yunan, Heilongjiang and Jilin.

JFC said the joint venture will open and operate a minimum of 1,459 shops in China over 20 years.

Dunkin' Donuts is a leading baked goods and coffee chain, with 11,123 stores worldwide. It has 7,941 franchised stores in the US and 3,182 stores in 34 countries.

JFC operates the Philippines' largest food service network, with 2,283 restaurants. It also operates 603 stores abroad.

Dunkin' Donuts is not the first time JFC has invested overseas. It has 50 percent interest in joint ventures for Highlands Coffee in Vietnam and the Philippines, Sabu in China and Pho 24 in various Asian countries.

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MER to refund PHP 5 billion to customers (19 Dec 2014)

Manila Electric Company (MER) will abide by the decision of the Court of Appeals (CA), affirming the earlier ruling of the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC), to refund PHP 5 billion transmission line loss charges to customers.

CA ordered MER to implement the refund, to be collected from the Power Sector Assets & Liabilities (PSALM), which manages finances & operations of Napocor.

The refund stemmed from double charging of line loss rentals from the simultaneous implementation of a Napocor-MER transition supply contract (TSC) & Wholesale Electricity Spot Market (WESM) price mechanism, both ERC-approved

Don't touch while its hot!

http://www.pinoyinvestor.com/stockpicks/aff/go/pwetka

Some of us will be receiving our 13th month pay soon. Here are PinoyInvestor's Top 5 tips how to best utilize this hard-earned money of yours.

1. Allot a certain portion of your 13th month pay to savings. Start with 20%; better if it can go higher. These savings can be added to your emergency fund or investment fund which will surely benefit you in the future.

2. Start investing. If you haven't started yet, use a portion of your 13th month pay to get your feet wet in the world of investing. You have a lot of options -- Stocks, Time Deposits, Mutual Funds, or Unit Investment Trust Funds. If you're already invested, top up your current investment this month. Consider it a Christmas gift to your future self!

3. Spend on little luxuries. You deserve it, because you worked hard for it this year. So go indulge a little; just make sure you're not splurging too much.

4. Share and give back. Spread the Christmas cheer by giving small tokens or gifts to family, friends, or strangers in need. Their appreciation of your kindness will no doubt be fulfilling.

5. Invest in knowledge. Fast track your journey towards achieving financial freedom by learning the ins and outs of investments. Get a good finance book, attend seminars, or read online resources that can enhance your financial knowledge. This investment will bear lots of financial fruits soon! 

Keep subscribed for more investing tips and guidance from PinoyInvestor!

2014 Winners...

http://www.rappler.com/business/personal-finance/78542-winning-investments-2014

The stock market is one of the major destination for funds that want to grow. As of this writing2, the following are the biggest gainers (percent reflects change as of date):

1. Island Information & Technology, Inc (IS) - 1934.48%
2. Leisure & Resorts World Corporation Warrants (LRW) - 958.00%
3. Premium Leisure Corporation (PLC) - 666.67%
4. Central Azucarera de Tarlac, Inc (CAT) - 634.82%
5. iRipple, Inc. (RPL) - 409.09%
6. Integrated Micro-Electronics, Inc (IMI) - 186.00%
7. Southeast Asia Cement Holdings, Inc (CMT) - 179.38%
8. Nickel Asia Corporation (NIKL) - 175.00%
9. Macay Holdings, Inc (MACAY) - 163.80%
10. D & L Industries, Inc (DNL) - 157.78%

The following are the top 5 fund performers to date (and their corresponding year-to-date return):

1. ATRKE Alpha Opportunity Fund, Inc.2 - 30.88%
2. Philequity Dividend Yield Fund, Inc.3 - 28.30%
3. Philequity Fund, Inc2 - 26.51%
4. Philippine Stock Index Fund Corp.2 - 22.33%
5. Philequity PSE Index Fund Inc.2 - 21.39%

Similar to mutual funds, UITF is also a type of pooled investment. Stock/Equity UITFs are also the winners in the UITF category, outstripping the balanced and bond/fixed income funds in terms of returns5.

The following are the top 5 UITFs from banks and their corresponding return on investment:

1. Security Bank Corporation (SB PESO EQUITY FUND) - 40.70%
2. Philippine National Bank (PNB HIGH DIVIDEND FUND) - 24.55%
3. BDO Unibank, Inc (BDO SUSTAINABLE DIVIDEND FUND) - 22.29%
4. Philippine National Bank (AUP EQUITY FUND) - 21.64%
5. Metropolitan Bank & Trust Company (Metro Equity Fund) - 20.33%

PH is now Baa2, - Moody's

By Louis Bacani (philstar.com)

MANILA, Philippines - Moody's Investors Service on Thursday raised the Philippines's credit rating to Baa2 with a stable outlook.

Moody's cited the country's ongoing debt reduction and improvements in fiscal management, continued favorable prospects for strong economic growth and limited vulnerability to the common risks currently affecting emerging markets. 

"In addition, the Philippines continues to improve its rankings on cross-country surveys of institutional quality, in line with the current administration's emphasis on good governance. At the same time, the central bank has continued to bolster its strong track record of maintaining price and financial stability, contributing to favorable operating conditions for the country's banking system, currently the only system deemed by Moody's to have a positive outlook," the credit rater said.

Moody's said the Philippines is also less reliant on a slowing China, and the country's solid current account surplus provides cushion to shifts in global liquidity conditions brought by imminent normalization of United States monetary policy. 

"Ample onshore liquidity conditions provide a stable funding base for the government, which simultaneously faces lower borrowing requirements due to narrower deficits," Moody's said.

However, Moody's warned that the Philippines may not reach its growth target.

"Although we expect the restoration of a fiscal impulse in the first half of 2015, the government's ambitious growth target may be difficult to achieve in the absence of a meaningful improvement in budget execution," it said.

Moody's likewise upgraded the government's foreign currency shelf rating to (P)Baa2 and the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas' liabilities have also been assigned a Baa2 rating and a stable outlook.

According to Moody's, the stable outlook for the Philippines suggests that the risks which may raise or lower its credit rating are balanced.

The credit rater said steady increase in income levels or greater revenue mobilization that would further bolster government finances may lead to another rating upgrade.

Conversely, the rating may be downgraded due to the emergence of macroeconomic instability, which leads to a substantial deterioration in fiscal and government debt metrics and an erosion of the country's external payments position.

In October last year, Moody's raised the country's credit rating to Baa3 from Ba1, becoming the last major credit rater to give the country an investment grade rating.

The rating action was on the back of the Philippines' robust economy, fiscal and debt consolidation, and political stability and improved governance.