26/07/2026
Every time the government announces a new benefit, the headlines are almost always the same: another win for senior citizens, persons with disabilities, or workers.
But one of the country’s leading restaurateurs is asking a harder question that has struck a nerve among entrepreneurs: Who actually pays for those promises?
David P. Sison, co-founder, president, and CEO of Mama Lou’s Hospitality Group and president of the Restaurant Owners of the Philippines Association (RestoPH), has gone viral after posting a strongly worded critique of government policies that, while popular among the public, leave private businesses absorbing much of the financial burden.
Sison is widely known for helping transform Mama Lou’s Italian Kitchen from a small family restaurant in Las Piñas into one of the country’s fastest-growing casual Italian dining chains. Using an MBA thesis as his blueprint, he helped expand the brand into around 30 branches nationwide while also launching restaurant concepts such as Nonna’s, Famu, and Brau Bass. Beyond business, he has become an outspoken advocate for the local food and beverage industry through RestoPH.
In a lengthy Facebook post, Sison argued that while government officials receive public praise for expanding social benefits, the cost is often transferred to private businesses.
“Every time the government announces a new benefit, people celebrate. And they should,” Sison wrote. “But do you know who pays for it? Not the government. We do.”
His post has resonated with many business owners who say they have long shouldered the costs of mandated discounts, wage hikes, and compliance requirements with little public recognition.
Sison pointed to the evolution of the Senior Citizens Act as an example.
Under Republic Act No. 7432, enacted in 1992, establishments were originally allowed to claim the full amount of senior citizen discounts as a tax credit, effectively reimbursing businesses for the benefit shouldered on behalf of the government.
That changed in 2004 with Republic Act No. 9257, he noted, when the tax credit was replaced with a tax deduction. Instead of recovering the entire value of the mandated discount, businesses now recover only a fraction through reduced taxable income.
“Today, for every 100 pesos of discount we grant, we recover only 20. The other 80 comes from the business,” he wrote, adding that Republic Act No. 9994 and Republic Act No. 10754 retained the same framework.
“Most people, even business owners, do not know this.”
Sison also questioned how newly mandated wage increases are implemented.
“We support it. Our people deserve it,” he said. “But when the announcement was made, no support came with it. Just the mandate. The applause goes to the government. The payroll comes from us.”
He argued that the burden does not stop there.
Businesses must also absorb VAT exemptions, mandatory employee benefits, permits, inspections, compliance reports, and a growing list of regulatory requirements—all while facing criticism from consumers whenever prices increase.
“The sari-sari store owner. The carinderia. The pharmacy. The restaurant that opens at 6 a.m. and prays it makes it to the end of the month,” he wrote, referring to the enterprises he believes quietly shoulder these obligations.
Sison emphasized that he is not calling for the removal of benefits.
“Our lolos and lolas deserve them. Our workers deserve them,” he said.
Instead, he challenged what he described as a system where the government receives political credit for social programs while private businesses are left to finance much of the cost.
“Generosity is easy when someone else pays the bill.”
His post has reignited debate over whether the government should once again fully reimburse businesses for mandated discounts, as originally provided under the 1992 law, instead of shifting much of the burden to employers and entrepreneurs.
For many business owners, Sison’s message echoed a long-standing frustration: that while businesses are expected to support every new government promise, they are rarely asked whether they have the capacity to keep footing the bill.
(✍️: Top Dagohoy)
