The Chinese-Filipino Business Club, Inc. (CFBCI) in partnership with the Department of Trade and Industry National Capital Regional Office (DTI-NCRO) held a seminar on June 7, 2023 at CFBCI auditorium with the title “START-UP: Registration and Government Support Programs". Five department heads from the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), Bureau of Permits-Manila, Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR), Social Security System (SSS), and Department of Science and Technology (DOST) were invited to give a detailed presentation on existing government support programs for new entrepreneurs including medical insurance for employees and assistance on taxation, business registration, and online selling.

The seminar was open to the public, and nearly 60 participants from various businesses, human resource department heads and online store operators attended the seminar. Several officers and members of CFBCI attended the event led by its President, Mr. Stephen Sia. The program was moderated by Ms. Patricia Anne Deinla, a graduating recipient of CFBCI’s Pagharap sa Pangarap College Scholarship Program.

The first session at 9:00 a.m. was delivered by Ms. Corona Olivia O. Rivera, Regional Director I of the Department of Trade and Industry National Capital Regional Office (DTI-NCRO). She explained the role and importance of micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in supporting the economy and providing employment to millions of Filipinos. In fact, according to surveys, 95% of businesses in the Philippines are made up of MSMEs.

These businesses can now conveniently process appointments with the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) through the Negosyo (Business) Center, a program established by the DTI to meet the needs of business owners. As for business registration, there are four requirements, such as a company name, valid identification, an application form prescribed by the agency, and a fee based on the size of the business. Once approved, it is valid for five years and should be renewed 180 to 90 days prior to the expiration date.

The second session was presented by Mr. Richard Zacarias, Director of the Business Division of the Bureau of Permits-Manila. He discussed the how business transactions can be relocated to online platforms. In addition, the various requirements for applying for a license were discussed, depending on whether the application is for a sole proprietorship or a corporation. All applications must be approved by the Office of City Planning and Development (zoning department) before they can be processed. Application fees can be paid through online banking, Bayad Center, or e-money options.

In the third session, Ms. Maria Liza Lintag, Chief Revenue Officer of the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) and Mr. Michael Vincent Pasicolan and Ms. May Theresa Razonable from BIR explained in detail the various service options of the BIR such as manual filing, e-services and the steps to file a tax return and application, respectively. The Bureau is promoting electronic transactions to make it faster and easier for people to file their returns. Appointments, registrations, and information updates can be made online, among other things. They also explained in detail how to calculate the tax payable and how to pay the tax in four stages each year. Finally, business owners were reminded to file their tax returns on time to avoid penalties.

After a three-hour seminar, the three morning sessions came to an end. During the lunch break, CFBCI provided lunch boxes and drinking water for each attendee and started the other two presentations in the afternoon after an hour break.

菲華工商總會訊：二零二三年六月七日，本會與貿工部國家首都地區辦公室（DTI-NCRO）合作，假八樓禮堂，舉辦「『啟動』 政府對商業註冊的支持計劃」研討會。當天邀請到貿工部(DTI)、馬尼拉市商業許可證辦公室(Bureau of Permits-Manila)、稅務局（BIR）、社保署（SSS）和科技部（DOST）五個部門主管現場講解，詳細解說，政府為鼓勵經商出臺的新商業法律，包括員工的醫療保險、稅務，商業註冊、網店經營等細節，並於會後回答出席者有關問題。講座對大眾開放，當天有近六十名來自各商號、公司人事部門主管和網店經營者等出席參與。本會理事長謝國萬致歡迎詞，副理事長曾國強致謝詞，點亮未來受助生Patricia Anne Deinla任司儀。其他出席領導有：執行副理事長黃書瑋，常務理事許有福、林文龍、洪海濱，理事王輝益。

上午九時的第一場由貿工部國家首都地區（DTI-NCRO）辦公室第一區主任Corona Olivia O. Rivera女士擔任主講，她解釋了微型，小型，中型企業（MSMEs）在支援經濟和為數百萬菲律濱人提供就業方面的作用和重要性。事實上，根據調查，菲律賓95%的企業由中小微企業組成。這些企業現在可以通過Negosyo（商業）中心方便地處理與貿工部的預約，Negosyo中心是貿工部為滿足業主需求而設立的一個項目。至於商業登記，有四項要求，例如公司名稱、有效身份證件、代理機構規定的申請表格，以及根據申請規模收取的費用。一旦獲得批准，有效期為五年，應在到期日前180天至90天續簽。

第二場由馬尼拉市商業許可證辦公室(Bureau of Permits-Manila)業務處處長Richard Zacarias先生主講，他強調了“Go Manila”應用程式，這是一種附合線上網店和交易的現代方法。除此之外，還討論了申請許可證的各種要求，具體取決於申請的是獨資企業還是公司。所有申請在處理之前都必須獲得城市規劃和發展辦公室（分區部門）的批准。可以通過網上銀行、bayad 中心或電子錢包等選項支付申請費用。

第三場由國稅局（BIR）首席稅收官Maria Liza Lintag女士及稅收部的Michael Vincent Pasicolan先生和 May Theresa Razonable女士分別詳細解說國稅局的各項服務方案，例如手動申報，電子服務以及申報退稅和申請步驟等。國稅局現促進電子交易，以方便民眾更快，更輕鬆地提交申請。可在線預約、註冊和資訊更新等等（ORUS）。還詳細講解如何計算應付稅款，每年分四個階段繳交稅款等。最後提醒企業主要按時報稅，以避免罰款。

經過三個多小時的研討會，上午的三場講座告一段落，中午休息時間，本會為每一位出席者提供餐盒及飲用水，並於休息一小時後即開始下午的另兩場演說。
圖片說明：
左小圖：（由上而下）謝國萬理事長，Corona Olivia O. Rivera女士，Richard Zacarias先生，Maria Liza Lintag女士, May Theresa Razonable女士，Michael Vincent Pasicolan先生。
右上圖：頒發感謝狀予貿工部主講人（左起）許有福，洪海濱，黃書瑋，Corona Olivia O. Rivera，謝國萬，王輝益。