Congress of the Philippines Twelfth Congress Second Regular Session REPUBLIC ACT NO. 9178 AN ACT TO PROMOTE THE ESTABLISHMENT OF BARANGAY MICRO BUSINESS ENTERPRISES (BMBEs), PROVIDING INCENTIVES AND BENEFITS THEREFOR, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in Congress assembled: PRELIMINARY PROVISIONS SEC. 1. Short Title. – This Act shall be known as the “Barangay Micro Business Enterprises (BMBEs) Act of 2002”. SEC. 2. Declaration of Policy. - It is hereby declared to be the policy of the State to hasten the country’s economic development by encouraging the formation and growth of barangay micro business enterprises which effectively serve as seedbeds of Filipino entrepreneurial talents, and integrating those in the informal sector with the mainstream economy, through the rationalization of bureaucratic restrictions, the active intervention of the government specially in the local level, and the granting of incentives and benefits to generate much-needed employment and alleviate poverty. SEC. 3. Definition of Terms. – As used in the Act, the following terms shall mean: (a) “Barangay Micro Business Enterprise,” hereinafter referred to as BMBE, refers to any business entity or enterprise engaged in the production, processing or manufacturing of products or commodities, including agro-processing, trading and services, whose total assets including those arising from loans but exclusive of the land on which the particular business entity’s office, plant and equipment are situated, shall not be more than Three Million Pesos (P3,000,000.00). The above definition shall be subject to review and upward adjustment by the SMED Council, as mandated under Republic Act No. 6977, as amended by Republic Act No. 8289. For the purpose of the Act, “services” shall exclude those rendered by any one, who is duly licensed by the government after having passed a government licensure examination, in connection with the exercise…