Manila City Hall ?gets physical?

To encourage healthier lifestyles, the Manila city government will soon offer free one-hour aerobic sessions to its employees after work starting March 7. Mayor Alfredo Lim Thursday urged employees to enlist in the activity aimed at increasing mobility and promoting wellness by ?getting physical.? The fitness classes will be supervised by Niño de la Cruz of the Manila Sports Council on March 7 and April 11 at Rajah Sulayman Park in Malate, and March 28 and April 25 at the Kartilla ng Katipunan beside the Manila City Hall. The 78-year-old mayor also urged the public to join fun runs or marathons for a cause, such as the recent Pasig River marathon where he led the city?s contingent. Allison W. Lopez

QC council sets fees guidelines

The Quezon City council has standardized ceilings for taxes, fees and other charges imposed by the different barangays on business establishments as well as clearances and certification fees. In resolution SP 4048 S-2007, the 14 aldermen who compose the council prescribed the guidelines for the review of taxes, fees and charges leveled by the 142 barangays in the locality. Small business operators earlier complained about the ?inconsistent? schedule of fees imposed on them ranging from P500 to P2,000. The resolution aims to attain uniform taxation rates reviewing all revenue measures of the barangays ?to determine whether these are within the scope of the prescribed powers of the sanggunian and the punong barangay? and prohibits the imposition of taxes, fees or charges higher than those stipulated by the guidelines. Jeannette L. Andrade