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DOF Asec Paola Alvarez on IT-BPM firms' call to extend WFH setup: What we should distinguish first is the two kinds of corporate entities: the first one is those registered under the PEZA, the other corporations are registered with the BOI.

DOF: Those who are required to go back to work, or those registered in investment promotion agencies, like PEZA, are governed by Section 309 of NIRC which explicitly provides that for the corporations to enjoy the fiscal incentives, they should be on location.

DOF: However, those under the Board of Investments may still have these incentives even if they do not work on location.

DOF: Previously, when we have the pandemic, we explained to them that the temporary situation is because of the ongoing pandemic. The FIRB issued a resolution to allow them 90% WFH, but this is temporary. This is before the vaccines, before the COVID transmission rate went down.

DOF: Because we're opening up the economy, with lower COVID rates and we have vaccines, then we can say we can already go back. That is what the law provides.

DOF: The fiscal incentive is not a right, it is a privilege granted by the law. For us to avail them, we need to follow the conditions under the law.

DOF: What we've been telling them is the same incentives if you fall under the BOI-covered incentives under the different tiers then maybe just register with the BOI because that business model works for you.

DOF: Not all locators of PEZA and IPAs (investment promotion agencies) are requesting the extension of WH. Others actually are willingly going back to the ecozones.

DOF: I think this is a matter of reviewing how you want to manage your corporation.

DOF: At the end of the day, it's their prerogative whether they want to be a PEZA locator, under the BOI, or as regular corporations.

DOF: We see year on year that the foreign direct investments under the BOI have actually increased.

DOF: We have other locators who are now deregistering from PEZA and registering as normal corporations.

DOF: This is balancing of your expenses. If you don't want to locate to PEZA because of rent, other expenses then you can opt for the regular corporate income tax.

DOF on threats of a mass resignation from BPO workers: Our economy is slowly going back, people need employment and we're trying to provide more employment. At the end of the day, it's up to them. We hope they find a better setup.

DOF: From 2016 to 2019, the IT-BPM firms have enjoyed an average of ₱26.30 billion in total tax incentives.

BPO Industry Employees’ Network Pilipinas Treasurer Arcy Parayno: Samin 'yung paghahanda namin parang wala e, kailangan mo na lang sundin kung ano 'yung sinabi ng gobyerno at kumpanya na balik-opisina.

Parayno: Sobrang traffic pa rin, siksikan. Sobrang hirap ng byahe.

Parayno: Wala pong naging workers' consultation so biglaan na lang 'yung desisyon nila na bumalik on site.

Parayno: Mas nilalaban namin ngayon na hybrid ang new normal. Panawagan namin na bigyan ng chance, depende sa empleyado kung gusto nila mag-WFH dahil napakalaking tipid nito para sa empleyado lalo na napakataas ng gasolina ngayon.

Parayno: 'Yung mag regular workers, they're not familiar with the PEZA na may tax incentives ang BPO companies.

Parayno: Regarding sa tax incentives, sana hindi lang companies ang nabibigyan, pati ang BPO workers kasi katulad noong nakaraang lockdown, wala namang natatanggap na ayuda ang mga BPO workers.

Parayno: 'Yung mga babalik on site sana bigyan ng dagdag sweldo 'yung mga manggagawa dahil dagdag gastos na naman ito.

Parayno: May mga grupo na nagsasabi na magkakaron ng mass resignation, pero sa hirap ng buhay ngayon, lalo na may banta pa rin ng COVID at ang taas ng mga bilihin, hangga't maaari ayaw namin magkaron ng mass resignation.

Parayno: Katulad sa kumpanya ko, mayroon akong transportation allowance, pero mawawala na siguro 'yung internet and electricity allowance na binibigay sa akin.

Parayno: Napakatalamak ng tanggalan, sana magkaron ng batas kung saan mapro-protektahan ang mga BPO workers pagdating sa job security.

Concentrix Philippines SVP and Country Manager Amit Jagga: Today, we have more than a million people in the IT-BPM sector in the Philippines who are working remotely.

Jagga: This was the way, in which we were able to continuously contribute to the economy of the Philippines by having 80% of our workforce working from home.

Jagga: Now, I think hybrid is the way to go.

Jagga: Most of our sites are with PEZA. It is becoming tough. While the government wants us to be back, and we are happy to operate, but our staff really want to be at home.

Jagga: I think more than the staff's preference, when I look at, as somebody who has been living in the Philippines for the last six years, we've had so much traffic congestion, we lose so much productive time on the roads.

Jagga: We have one million plus BPO workers who can meaningfully contribute to the economy working in a hybrid model.

Jagga: This will not only create an impact on the overall competitiveness of the Philippines, but it will also create an impact on the staff.

Jagga on BPO companies' refusal to return to the office: Each company has taken its own stand. But Concentrix's stand is to let go of incentives.

Jagga: We are about 35% back on site, 65% of our staff are still working in a more hybrid environment.

Jagga: Two of the benefits we've seen with hybrid, WFH: the first one is we've seen a surge in our countryside or provincial workforce, the second is a very inclusive workforce.

Jagga: We've already registered two of our new sites with BOI.

Jagga: We feel that in the next three years, we will have 450,000 staff in the Philippines. We are very aggressive