LAST September, the Fiscal Incentives Review Board finally put forward a resolution that will allow information technology and business processing management or business processing outsourcing firms in ecozones to adopt fully remote arrangements without risking penalty or suspension of their tax incentives. This decision comes after months of negotiation between the involved parties and is the first step toward cementing work-from-home arrangements as a permanent option in the sector. Currently, amendments to the Corporate Recovery and Tax Incentives for Enterprises Act, or Create Act, and the Telecommuting Act are being considered to even the playing field between remote and face-to-face firms.

There is one important takeaway from this story. That is, this is the first real indication that remote work is here to stay for Philippine firms, and the government is setting up the proper framework to support it.