The Manila Times: Obama signs PH Charitable Giving Assistance Act

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U.S. President Barack Obama has signed into law a legislative measure that would allow American taxpayers to claim deductions for donations they made to support relief and rehabilitation efforts in the Philippines in the aftermath of super typhoon Yolanda.

The new law, called the Charitable Giving Assistance Act, would allow taxpayers who donate to the relief efforts in the Philippines after the President's signature on March 25 and before April 15 to take the charitable deduction when they file their 2013 tax returns.

Taxpayers who donate in this time frame but have already filed their taxes can amend their tax returns to receive these benefits this year.

Without this law, taxpayers can claim a tax deduction for contributions they make to charities, but they receive the tax incentive many months later after they file their tax returns the following year. The law eliminates this delay.
Philippine officials welcomed the enactment of the law.

"The immediate signing by President Obama of the Philippine Charitable Giving Assistance Act underscores the importance the U.S. government places on the immediate recovery of typhoon-devastated areas in the Philippines," Ambassador Jose Cuisia, Jr. said in a statement from Washington.

Cuisia thanked Obama for his prompt action on the measure and lawmakers led by Hawaii Sen. Mazie Hirono and California Rep. Eric Swalwell and their cosponsors for introducing the bill and ensuring its passage in Congress.

Obama signed it into law on Tuesday, Wednesday in Manila.

"I wish to reiterate the profound gratitude of the Philippine government and the Filipino people for the generous outpouring of support and solidarity by the U.S. government and the American people to the victims of Typhoon Haiyan," Cuisia said.

The new law was introduced in the House of Representatives by Swalwell and was co-sponsored by 35 congressmen--26 Democrats and nine Republicans. It was unanimously passed as House Resolution 3771 on Monday.

At the U.S. Senate, Resolution 1821, sponsored by Hirono, and supported by Majority Leader Harry Reid and Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Robert Menendez, among others, was passed on March 6.

Yolanda, known by its international codename Haiyan, was one of the strongest recorded storm to hit land with tsunami-like storm surges that washed and damaged more than a million houses and left more than 6,200 people dead and 1,800 missing.

At least 14 million people have been affected across the Central Philippines and the U.N. said it will take several years before the devastated areas could fully recover.

The U.S., a Philippine military ally, was among the first countries to respond to the disaster by deploying troops, navy ships, aircraft and monetary aid after the storm wrought massive devastation across the Visayas region on Nov. 8.

To date, the U.S. government has provided a total of P3.9 billion or about $ 87.7 million in immediate humanitarian assistance for survivors.

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