Danish Film Starring Mercedes Cabral Premieres at Cinemalaya

Wazzup Pilipinas!

The Danish film “Rosita,” in which acclaimed actress Mercedes Cabral plays the title role, will have its Asian and Philippine premiere at the 12th Cinemalaya Philippine Independent Film Festival on August 13, Saturday, 6:15 p.m. at the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) Tanghalang Nicanor Abelardo (CCP Main Theater).

Cabral, who portrays a Filipina mail-order bride torn between an old man and his son, will grace the film’s screening, which is part of Cinemalaya’s “Indie Nation” section. She's known for her remarkable roles in Brillante Mendoza’s award-winning films “Serbis,” “Kinatay,” and “Thy Womb” before she won her first Best Actress award at the 2015 World Premieres Film Festival for Alvin Yapan’s “An Kubo sa Kawayanan.”

It was Mendoza who recommended Cabral to Danish filmmaker Frederikke Aspöck when they met at the Marrakech Film Festival in Morocco. Aspöck eventually won Best Director for “Rosita” at the Moscow International Film Festival last year. She broke into the international film festival scene when she bagged the Premier Prix de la Cinéfondation at the Cannes Film Festival in 2004 for her short film “Happy Now.” The female director’s feature film debut “Labrador” (Out of Bounds) also made the rounds of international film festivals and also got favorable nods from critics worldwide.

In “Rosita,” Cabral stars with internationally recognized Danish actors Jens Albinus, who portrays the middle-aged widower Ulrik, and Mikkel Boe Følsgaard, who plays the role of his son Johannes, along with Julie Agnete Vang, Mads Riisom, Lise Baastrup, and Jacob Moth-Poulsen.

IPC Urges PH Biz to Innovate with Digital Work Tools

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Local cloud services pioneer IPC (IP Converge Data Services, Inc.) recently announced that it will be holding regular digital enterprise innovation seminars for business owners and entrepreneurs, free of charge.

Entitled “Gear up to Innovate: An essential blueprint for digital transformation”, the session aims to emphasize to Filipino businesses the importance of taking on a digital mindset in today’s highly connected world. Insights about digital best practices will be shared and the most relevant cloud-based business tools will be explored in-depth.

“Digital is the new Normal. If a company doesn't take advantage of today’s plethora of readily available enterprise applications, it runs the risk of being left behind by competition who do,” said Niño Valmonte, Director for Product Management & Marketing at IPC. “Doing business in this day and age compels us to adopt a digital mindset, and the fastest and most cost-efficient way to do it is through the cloud.”

Attendees will be engaged in an immersive demo of collaborative business applications and witness how workplace productivity can be elevated through these tools. More importantly, IPC will elaborate on the effective ways to migrate business processes to the cloud.

The “Gear up to Innovate” seminar series starts on August 19, 2016 and will run until the end of the year. It will be held at 1:30 PM - 5:50 PM on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from there on at 34F RCBC Plaza Tower 2, Ayala Avenue, Makati City.

Participants will be accommodated on a first come, first served basis. To register, visit http://gearup.ipc.ph.

Taxes Every Future Homeowner Should Keep In Mind

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Lamudi lists down legal dues that you need to know to be a responsible homeowner.

Due diligence does not stop when you have raised the amount you need to acquire a property. The responsibility of a homeowner starts as soon as the deed of sale is signed and goes on until forever. Thus, while you are preparing for your monthly amortization, it is best to familiarize yourself with the taxes and legal fees that you are about to face.

Real estate buying is a tedious process both financially and legally. However, property assets and investments that will soon be under your name and inside your pocket is definitely worth the trouble. To arm your property purchase, Lamudi Philippines lists down the basics that are essential to know.

Real Property Tax

One major law relating to owning a home is paying the Real Property Tax (RPT) every year. Once you step into your new home, it is advisable to have it appraised and assessed for accurate taxation values. All real property are evaluated according to current and fair market value prevailing in the locality where the property is situated. Owners will pay an RPT rate of 2% on properties in cities and municipalities in Metro Manila, while 1% if the property is located in the provinces.

It is imperative to always pay the RPT on time for it will incur penalties that will add burden to your tax obligations. Delinquent payments subject the payer to payment interest at the rate of 2% per month delayed to a maximum of 72% or 36 months. Then again, while late payments are crucial, paying in advance is also rewarding. Discounts are given to homeowners who settle their taxes beforehand.

For taxpayer’s conveniences, other payment options are also available. The RPT can be paid in full or annually and by installment or quarterly. For yearly schedule, payment is due on or before the 31st of January each year, while paying quarterly must be consistently paid on these dates: first quarter, on or before March 31; second quarter, on or before June 30; third quarter, on or before September 30; and on or before December 31 for the fourth quarter.

For payment or to inquire on your home’s RPT, just go to the Treasurer’s Office of the city or municipality where your property is located.

Aside from the Real Property Tax, there are other fees that are equally important. These fees and taxes for real estate transactions in the country are usually divided between the buyer and the seller and are subject to mutual agreement. However, the Contract of Sale or the Deed of Sale must specifically declare the parties in charge of shouldering the costs to avoid confusion or legal problems.

Capital Gains Tax and Other Taxes

The seller’s responsibilities includes Capital Gain Tax, which is 6% of the selling price, zonal value, or fair market value of the property, whichever is higher; and the Business Tax, if applicable, the rate of which will depend on the LGU where the property is located.

On the other hand, the buyer’s accountabilities is comprised of the following:

●     Documentary Stamps Tax – 1.5% of selling price or Zonal Value, whichever is higher

●     Transfer Tax – rate depends on location of property (ranging from 0.25% to 0.75% of selling price or zonal value, whichever is higher)

●     Registration Fee or the graduated rate based on the selling price

Owning a house is a lifetime responsibility, so to break free from possible legal problems in the future, it is best to be familiar and reliable in doing your duties and responsibilities as a taxpayer and as a homeowner.