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Taxing our Future
 
The UNESCO National Commission of the Philippinesexpresses its objection to the imposition of taxes onimported books and other reading materials. This action is ablatant violation of the provisions of the 1950 FlorenceAgreement on the Importation of Educational, Scientific andCultural Materials of which the Philippines is a signatory asof 07 August 1979. Article 1 of the Agreement provides,
“Thecontracting States undertake not to apply customs duties or other charges on, or in connection with, the importation of (a)books, publications and documents…; (b) educational,scientific and cultural materials…” 
 
John Donaldson, UNESCO Senior Legal Officer based inParis , stresses, “The Philippines, as a Party to the FlorenceAgreement, must respect the principle
Pacta sunt servanda
.This fundamental principle of the law of treaties, enshrined inthe Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties of 1969,provides that treaties in force are binding upon the partiesand must be performed in good faith. It follows that if thePhilippines decides to apply custom duties or other chargeson the importation of materials coming from another StateParty, and for which the Florence Agreement foresees anexemption,
it will be in breach of its obligations under this Agreement
.” In addition to this, the Office of LegalAffairs of the Dept. Of Foreign Affairs (OLA-DFA) submitsthat DO No. 17-09 issued by the Dept. Of Finance iscontrary to RP’s obligations under the UNESCO FlorenceAgreement and is inconsistent with its principle of freeexchange of ideas and knowledge.As a member of the United Nations Educational, Scientificand Cultural Organization (UNESCO) for over 60 years, the
 
Philippines should remain steadfast in adhering to theOrganization’s principles and resolutions. The Philippines isnot only a founding member of good standing, it is one of thefew member-countries represented in the UNESCOExecutive Board, having been elected in this august body in2007. Our moral ascendancy will be in question if we do nothold fast to UNESCO’s mandate and principles.
 
UNESCO’s mandate includes promoting the right toinformation as a fundamental human right. UNESCO alsoenvisions the emergence of “knowledge societies that areinclusive, pluralistic, equitable, open and participatory.” TheUNESCO National Commission of the Philippines believesthat tax on imported books will undoubtedly limit access toinformation and knowledge and curtail the free flow of information. This imposition will also slow down if not obviateour country’s efforts to become a knowledge society.
 
Moreover, the tax scheme has an inherent anti-poor bias asit is the marginalized sectors that will be most adverselyaffected by more expensive publications. Taxes on importedbooks and other publications will definitely widen the“knowledge divide” between the rich and poor sectors of society and therefore run counter to UNESCO’s vision of building an “inclusive” society.
 
Taxing imported books is tantamount to taxing readinghabits. At a time when parents and educators worldwidehave expressed alarm on the continuing steep decline in thereading habits and practices especially among the young,the tax measure is counterproductive to current initiatives torekindle a reading culture. The measure would surely further discourage young and even old minds from appreciating,recognizing and rediscovering the value of reading.
 
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