MANILA, Philippines - Lady Gaga recently made it to local headlines after various religious groups staged pickets and rallies denouncing her. But beyond the controversy lies a bigger issue that is affecting the local music industry.
Tomorrow at 5 p.m., on ABS-CBN’s Failon Ngayon, Ted Failon examines how local government uses the amusement tax that artists pay and how these funds are used. Under R.A. No 7160 or the Local Government Code section 140, the amusement taxes will be used to develop theaters, conduct workshops for local artists and the rest will be utilized by the municipal government.
So for every P15,000 ticket sold by Lady Gaga, for example, how much of it will actually benefit the Filipinos? How much actually went to the city government of Pasay? Who is the big winner whenever major concerts like that of Lady Gaga is staged in the country?