PLDT Chairman and CEO Manuel V Pangilinan has committed to support the Bureau of Internal Revenue’s digital transformation as it sets it eyes on higher targets this year.
In a panel discussion held recently at BIR’s 2021 Tax Campaign Kickoff event, Pangilinan commended BIR’s record-breaking tax collection of P1.95 trillion, which is due to BIR’s recent digital transformation process.
Also at the event were Department of Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez, BIR Commissioner Caesar Dulay and fellow business leaders Ramon S. Ang, Justo A. Ortiz, Enrique K. Razon Jr., and Jaime Augusto Zobel de Ayala.
BIR’s digital transformation includes the bureau’s tax compliance monitoring program innovating taxpayers’ experience, its e-Filing and e-Appointment systems and using digital payment channels for improved taxpayer services.
“[The BIR] has done a good job and it now has higher targets for 2021, coming off from a pandemic which is very challenging. Whether it is by enabling the bureau to collect more efficiently through the different online payment channels or assisting it in deploying cloud-based data storage solutions, we are here to help,” Pangilinan said.
Beefing up network connectivity
Pangilinan said that the PLDT group has been continuously upgrading its networks, underscoring the importance of its fixed and wireless networks as well as its international cable facilities in enabling Filipinos to have the best possible customer experience.
“We are rolling out our 5G infrastructure and hopefully, by the end of the year, it will be substantially deployed in most parts of the Philippines. 5G offers our customers greater speed, lower latency and better video experience, and we are doing our best to make 5G devices more affordable to a greater number of Filipinos,” Pangilinan said.
“Beyond connectivity, we also provide enterprise solutions for both SMEs and corporations. We need to push corporations to become more digital. It isn’t just all about laying the network for these corporations but also creating more digital solutions, both here and abroad. These are solutions based on the way enterprises sell and deliver their products. Our enterprise group is now looking into more digital solutions, on top of digital connectivity,” Pangilinan added.
Filipino resilience and adaptability
With the country’s fast-tracked digital transformation amid the pandemic, government institutions, businesses and individuals alike are finding their own way to adapt and go digital.
“Filipinos can easily adapt. They learn quickly and they’re resilient, so Filipinos can quickly learn how to use digital devices and digital platforms. This is why it is very important that we digitalized our network systems. Because despite the lockdown and the limited mobility to transact, the digital infrastructures have created relevant platforms and enabled people to pay on a cashless basis – whether it is to buy food and other necessities,” Pangilinan said.
The BIR pushes to fully adapt digital systems and processes as it aims to reach its tax collections target of P2.08 trillion this year.