House OKs tax relief for local music industry

MANILA, Philippines - The House of Representatives has approved on third and final reading a bill that would grant tax exemptions and subsidies to the local music industry.

House Bill 4443 or the Local Music Industry Incentives Act was passed early last week. Its authors include Reps. Teodoro Casino (Bayan Muna), Romero Quimbo (Marikina City), Joseph Victor Ejercito (San Juan City), and Georgina de Venecia (Pangasinan).

“First and foremost, it shall encourage and promote the creation of original Filipino music and provide support to make the industry internationally competitive. It shall ensure that the music industry provides cultural opportunities to all Filipinos,” the authors said.

The bill amends provisions of Republic Act 9640 or the Local Government Code that mandates the imposition of amusement tax by local government units.

Exempted from amusement tax are operas, concerts, dramas, recitals, painting and art exhibitions, flower shows, musical programs, literary and oratorical presentations, whose performers are “mainly Filipino artists and Filipino composers.”

The measure also put in provisions that mandate that part of the amusement tax collected from concerts and music-related presentations be used to finance workshops to benefit local talents.