President Marcos okays tax refund for foreign tourists

by JeroMe aning Inquirer.net

MANILA — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has approved the implementation of the Value-Added Tax (VAT) Refund Program for foreign tourists by 2024 in an effort to boost tourist arrivals in the country, Malacañang said on Sunday, January 29.

The program is among the “Quick Wins” recommendations presented by the tourism cluster of the Private Sector Advisory Council (PSAC) in a meeting with Mr. Marcos last Thursday, January 26.

PSAC is composed of business leaders and industry experts providing technical advice to the President on the government’s economic objectives in six key sectors — agriculture, digital infrastructure, health

MENTAL HEALTH OR GUN CONTROL OR BOTH?

AAPI community leaders seek solutions following recent shootings in Monterey Park, Half Moon Bay

by Klarize Medenilla AJPress

CALIFORNIA’S vast Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community has been wrought with multiple tragedies: the Lunar New Year party massacre on Jan. 21 that killed 11 people and injured others and the Jan. 23 Half Moon Bay shooting that killed seven people.

Most of the victims of these two murderous rampages were Asian Americans and members of the Hispanic community, but there continues to be little to no clear explanations for what led to these tragedies. With the proximity of these attacks and the widely celebrated Lunar New Year, the Asian American community is on high alert, especially as it tries to move on from wrongly being placed in the crosshairs of racist violence and harassment during the peaks of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Gloria Pan, Senior Vice President, National Member Engagement, Campaign Innovations & Gun Control at MomsRising, u PAGE 3 care, infrastructure, jobs generation, and tourism.

According to the Palace, the president will soon issue an executive order on the tax refund, which other countries are also implementing as an enticement to tourists.

This would allow foreign tourists to get a refund on the VAT they have paid for their purchases here which they would bring back to their home countries.

The Bureau of Internal Revenue collects a 12-percent VAT on goods sold in the country.

Travel tax, e-visas

The Department of Tourism (DOT) recorded 2.65 million visitors from February to December last year—much higher than the 163,879 in 2021, but still significantly lower than the prepandemic level of 8.26 u PAGE 2

GoFundMe created for Fil-Am man killed in Monterey park shooting

by AJPress

THE family of a Filipino American man killed during a Lunar New Year shooting in Monterey Park, California has launched a GoFundMe campaign to help with funeral costs.

Valentino Alvero, 68, was one of 11 individuals killed during the mass shooting at Star Ballroom Dance Studio on Saturday night, Jan. 21 as the Asian American community celebrated Lunar New Year festivities nearby.

“We want to honor his memory the way he

City Council approves state funding to house people living in encampments City secures $2.45M to help unsheltered residents in East Village

SAN DIEGO – Working to expand pathways to move San Diegans off the streets and into housing, the City Council on Monday, January 30 authorized the expenditure of a $2.45 million grant awarded to the City of San Diego to help end people’s homelessness in East Village.

San Diego was one of eight communities across the state last October to be awarded a portion of $48 million in Encampment Resolution Funding (ERF). Nineteen other communities received ERF grant funds in the first round in early 2022.

“We know what ends homelessness: outreach, shelter, housing,” Mayor Todd Gloria said. “This infusion of state dollars will help us address homeless encampments in a part of Downtown where they have had a major impact on quality of life. I look forward to seeing positive results, both for the community and those experiencing homelessness.”

The ERF program is a competitive grant that aims to assist local jurisdictions in ensuring the safety and wellness of people experiencing homelessness in encampments; resolve critical encampment concerns and transition individuals into safe and stable housing; and encourage a data-informed, coordinated approach. As part of the grant application process, the City of San Diego identified an area, including the blocks surrounding the Old Downtown Central Library with a heavy concentration of encampments: Broadway to F St., and 7th to 10th Ave. in East Village. The encampments include approximately 50 single adults, with more than half being African American and/or over age 55.

“With City Council’s approval, we are excited to accept this grant funding and put it to use,” said Hafsa Kaka, Homelessness Strategies and Solutions Department Director. “The City’s Homelessness Strategies and Solutions Department will be working diligently u PAGE 2