Tiñga pushes tax breaks for local music industry

MANILA, Philippines - While the local music industry is bracing itself from the influx of foreign artists performing in the country, the Organisasyon ng Pilipinong Mang-aawit (OPM) is receiving solid legislative and financial backing from Congress, as a bill aimed at making the local industry more competitive through tax breaks, gains ground.

“The Philippines is a country of creative people but their potential is being stifled by the lack of institutional support amid a highly competitive environment. It’s about time for the state to be proactive and provide all the needed legislative and financial support to ensure that the Filipino culture survive and flourish,” says Taguig 2nd Rep. Freddie Tiñga (photo), principal author of House Bill (HB) No. 4443, or the “Local Music Industry Incentives Act.”

Section 140 of the Local Government Code of 1991, is amended by HB No. 4443 wherein local government units may “levy an amusement tax to be collected from proprietors, lessees, or operators of theaters, cinemas, concert halls, circuses, boxing stadia and other places of amusement at a rate of not more than 10 percent of the gross receipts from admission fees.”

‘’Once HB 4443 is signed into law, the holding of operas, concerts, dramas, recitals, painting and art exhibitions, flower shows, musical programs, literary and oratorical presentations, including pop, rock, or similar concerts — as long as they feature mainly Filipino artists and Filipino compositions — will be exempt from the payment of the tax imposed,” says Tiñga.

The Bill further states that the proceeds from the amusement tax from concerts and other music-related presentations may be earmarked for subsidizing workshops of local theater musicals and/or training and workshops for local artists and composers. The remaining proceeds from amusement tax shall be equally shared by the province and municipality where the amusement places are located.

HB 4443 has been approved on third reading by the House of Representatives and was transmitted to the Senate for consideration and to be consolidated with a counterpart bill filed by Senator Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr.

Last year, Tiñga met with OPM president Ogie Alcasid and they vowed to initiate measures to revitalize the interest of the young to Filipino artists and compositions, as well as save both  the local music and film industry from practically dying.