Aquino Pushes Measures to Fight War-Induced Inflation

​SEN. Bam Aquino urged the government on Saturday to implement actions to ease the effect of inflation on Filipinos triggered by the resumption of war between the United States and Iran.Aquino said the recent increase in petroleum prices would also increase the prices of basic commodities, transportation fares and other essential services.​"Filipinos should not be left to endure one price increase after another. We must take decisive action to reduce household expenses, bring down the cost of goods and provide meaningful support to workers and the middle class," he added.​The senator called for the prompt approval of legislative measures he filed to cushion the effects of inflation on Filipinos.​Among the measures is Senate Bill 2047, which seeks to reduce the value-added tax (VAT) from 12 percent to 10 percent, lowering taxes on goods and services, including petroleum products.​Under his "Panukalang Batas para sa Abot-Kayang Pamumuhay" agenda, Aquino filed Senate Bill 265, which proposes removing the excise taxes imposed under the Train Law on diesel, kerosene, liquefied petroleum gas, fuel oil and unleaded gasoline to protect consumers from recurring fuel price increases.​His other proposed measures include the P200 Wage Hike Bill, which grants private sector employees a P200 daily wage increase; the Kuryenteng Walang VAT Bill, which removes the 12-percent VAT on electricity; and the Increasing Tax Exemption Bracket Bill, which raises the annual income tax exemption threshold from P250,000 to P480,000.​Aquino is advocating for the Dagdag Sahod sa Nurse Bill, which would increase the salary grade of government nurses from Salary Grade 15 to 19; the Angat Sweldo Para sa Guro Act, which provides an additional P10,000 monthly compensation for public school teachers and qualified nonteaching personnel over the next three years; and the Abolition of Travel Tax Bill, which seeks to eliminate the travel tax for Filipinos and Asean nationals traveling within the Asean region.​He filed the Cash Assistance and Relief for the Elderly Bill, which grants qualified senior citizens a P1,000 monthly social pension; the Barangay Workers Act, which standardizes the salaries and benefits of barangay personnel; and the Profit-Sharing Act, which encourages voluntary profit-sharing arrangements between employers and employees.​"These reforms cannot wait. Every day they are delayed only adds to the financial burden faced by Filipino families," Aquino said.