The Philippine blogosphere is buzzing about it: The NTC proposed guidelines on the provision of contents, information, applications and electronic games. Many believe that this proposal will require bloggers — and online content providers (friendster users; youtubers, etc.) to register and pay fees; and that this proposal is a move by the NTC and the Philippine government to get money from the bloggers.
I read the document last night and personally, I had a hard time understanding the content of the proposal. It was so vague, I can’t even understand the connection between the supposed goal of the memorandum and what it proposes:
To encourage and facilitate the development of contents, information, applications, and electronic games as “the entry of more contents, information, applications and/or electronic games providers in the market will result to lower prices benefiting the consumers”.
How will you encourage content providers to create and develop more content when you require them to register and pay to publish their contents?
This brings me to think that the memorandum is in fact intended for mobile content providers. The scope of the proposal, however is so broad, you can’t blame bloggers to be wary about it. Loopholes in this memorandum may affect bloggers, who, afterall are content providers themselves and some are even compensated for blogging.
The memorandum, as I see it, is for mobile content providers but with all the noise we bloggers have been making on this issue, the government might also consider what most of us have been clamoring against— impose tax to Filipino bloggers. We are giving them idea afterall.
Paying my tax as a blog entrepreneur is fine with me. Afterall, if we really treat our blogs as businesses then maybe it is time we give our dues as business owners. I believe a number of bloggers are also amenable with this. The thing that makes it difficult for bloggers to pay their taxes wholeheartedly, however, is when they learn many of our legislators and politicians are spending luxury holidays and building palatial mansion with unaccounted pork barrel funds. So what about a win- win situation?
Impose tax to Filipino bloggers only when the pork barrel has been abolished
If the memorandum is really about mobile content providers, then the NTC should be clear about this. The proposal may be beneficial for the mobile content providers but a license to blog is not at all healthy in promoting information technology and may even curb freedom of speech among Filipinos.
I have posted several negative comments in some blogs about this issue without even reading the memorandum and thinking the whole thing is intended to require bloggers a license to blog. I apologize for my irresponsibility and I hope this post will clear what is really my side on the NTC memorandum issue.
Mark,
Medyo in hiatus na ata ngayon ang issue pero we can never be sure kung itutuloy talaga ito ng gobyerno.
Mark,
Medyo in hiatus na ata ngayon ang issue pero we can never be sure kung itutuloy talaga ito ng gobyerno.
waaaa….anun nabang ngyaRi…pati OL poSts…wd taX…toinks!
waaaa….anun nabang ngyaRi…pati OL poSts…wd taX…toinks!
Wag naman blog comment tax hahahahha masiado namang na cucurb ang ating freedom of speech nian
Wag naman blog comment tax hahahahha masiado namang na cucurb ang ating freedom of speech nian
Ano ba yan..lahat nalang pineperahan ng gobyerno natin.. If i’m not mistaken, yung text fee dati, ng implement sila nag tax from text messages nang nakita nilang marami sila mapepera dito. Hindi na ako magugulat if pati pag post ng comment baka may tax na rin. heheh!
Ano ba yan..lahat nalang pineperahan ng gobyerno natin.. If i’m not mistaken, yung text fee dati, ng implement sila nag tax from text messages nang nakita nilang marami sila mapepera dito. Hindi na ako magugulat if pati pag post ng comment baka may tax na rin. heheh!
Yes booger, if only politicians are honest enough with the people’s money, it won’t be that hard to share our blogging earnings but geee, some of our blogging tax or whatever you call it might go to unofficial luxury vacations of some of our politicos and their families.
Yes booger, if only politicians are honest enough with the people’s money, it won’t be that hard to share our blogging earnings but geee, some of our blogging tax or whatever you call it might go to unofficial luxury vacations of some of our politicos and their families.
I just read about this from a fellow blogger’s entry and I could not help myself but bitch about it wherever I can. This should not push through! The government has imposed “charges” on almost everything. I won’t be surprised if soon enough we will be charged for breathing. If they can provide better governance, better services from effing government officials, and better brains to sum it all up, then I’d be more than willing to pay. But since transparency is even a problem, why should we give them more money to spend?
I just read about this from a fellow blogger’s entry and I could not help myself but bitch about it wherever I can. This should not push through! The government has imposed “charges” on almost everything. I won’t be surprised if soon enough we will be charged for breathing. If they can provide better governance, better services from effing government officials, and better brains to sum it all up, then I’d be more than willing to pay. But since transparency is even a problem, why should we give them more money to spend?