IBPAP says shift to BOI win for WFH arrangements

The Information Technology and Business Process Association of the Philippines (IBPAP) on Monday cheered the transfer of registration to the Board of Investments (BOI) and the extension of the accommodation of work from home arrangements.

IBPAP said the latest development is in line with two years of pushing for work from home and hybrid work arrangements for businesses.

“After two years of making a case for what the benefits of WFH/hybrid work are, it is great news that the FIRB will be facilitating a smooth paper transfer of the registration of IT-BPM enterprises from the Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA) to the Board of Investments (BOI),” the group said in an emailed statement.

The Fiscal Incentives Review Board (FIRB) last week extended the work from home arrangement for information technology and business process management (IT-BPM) firms registered with the Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA) until December 2022.

For its part, the Department of Finance (DOF) has maintained that IT-BPM firms within economic zones should operate on an on-site basis to be able to continue enjoying their tax perks.

With the extension of the remote work arrangement, however, the DOF said firms registered with PEZA could simply shift their registration with the Board of Investments (BOI) and continue to enjoy the tax incentives.

“WFH/hybrid work is a game-changer for the Philippines and the sustainability of the IT-BPM industry and it will be a contributing factor to our ability to create 1.1 million new direct jobs for Filipinos, generate billions more in revenue, and significantly increase our countryside footprint by 2028,” the IBPAP said.

“We are also grateful to have had the constant assistance and guidance of PEZA and BOI throughout everything that has happened. We will continue to work with them and our other stakeholders to iron out the details and process of this paper transfer,” it added.

Labor Secretary Bienvenido Laguesma last Friday signed Department Order 237, which provided that employees in work-from-home arrangements should be given the same terms and conditions mandated by the labor standards in the country.—AOL, GMA News