MANILA (UCAN): Bienvenido Abante Jr., a Philippine legislator and a Baptist Church pastor, has tabled a bill in Congress to exempt religious articles from taxes and other charges. Bibles and other religious articles sent to the Philippines by foreign Churches are taxed, although they are not sold for profit.
Abante filed the bill to free Churches, which are already exempt from paying income and real property taxes, from other obligations and fees imposed by the government.
The legislator said the Philippine Constitution provides that Churches should be exempt from paying taxes. However, he noted that to enjoy tax exemption they are required to secure tax exemption certificates from the Bureau of Internal Revenue.
Abante’s bill aims to do away with the requirement for certificates for tax-exemption when transactions or articles are for “religious, charitable and educational purposes.”
He said Bibles, religious books or articles, medicines and other articles, and merchandise imported by a Church in the Philippines should also be tax-exempt.
Bishop Noel Pantoja, national director of the Philippine Council of Evangelical Churches, expressed support for the proposal.
“Exempting Bibles and other religious articles from taxes will promote better accessibility of the masses to materials that would build character, good manners and conduct of Filipinos,” he said.
An earlier proposal by Abante for the passage of a bill to make Bible reading mandatory in public schools gained support from some Catholic bishops.
Bishop Arturo Bastes of Sorsogon, described it as “very good” and “good news for us to read the Good News of God.”
As we celebrate the 500 years of Christianity in the Philippines. The Chaplaincy to Filipino Migrants organises an on-line talk every Tuesday at 9.00pm. You can join us at:
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Father Conegundo Garganta, executive secretary of the Episcopal Commission on Youth, also welcomed the proposal, saying it was a “relevant act.”
Philippine president, Rodrigo Duterte, declared January as National Bible Month to be celebrated every year and the last Monday of January a special working holiday in observance of National Bible Day.
