Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama
CEBU CITY, Philippines –City Mayor Michael Rama is planning to meet with legislators and the Local Finance Committee (LFC) to discuss the general revision of the real property tax (RPT) code after he returns from his business trip to Taiwan.
“I wish they will find time that once I come back, we will have a bilateral discussion,” Rama said.
He addressed the opposition stance brought by Councilor Nestor Archival, saying that it was only because of the need for more understanding and appreciation of the matter.
On March 18, Archival expressed his opposition to the implementation of the revised RPT, stating that the people are still recovering and cannot afford the real property tax increase of more or less 5,000 percent.
“And I realized 95 percent sa akong naistorya nagingon sila nga wala pa mi karecover, dili pa namo kaya nga patas-an ug makabayad sa real property nga karon nga magincrease, more or less plus and minus 5,000 percent,” said Archival.
While the law for RPT will be amended to reflect current fair market values, Rama proposed that it be implemented gradually, considering those with difficulty paying.
He pointed out that the gradual implementation would be included in the updated law’s implementing rules and regulations that both the executive and legislative branches will agree on.
Councilor Noel Wenceslao, the chairman of the budget and finance committee, stated that it has been 21 years since the city government last revised its RPT.
According to the Local Government Code of the Philippines, real property tax should be revised once every three years.
Furthermore, Vice Mayor Raymond Alvin Garcia expressed the need to revise the real property tax.
“We have been delayed 21 years. So I think and I feel that there should be a revision that should take place because it is not anymore current diba?” he added.
Garcia also said that it’s no longer a question of whether the updating of RPT should be done or not but a question of when it will be implemented.
“Considering that we have just recovered from the pandemic unya gi kuskus pa jud ta sa typhoon Odette…I think it’s no longer a question whether its right to revise because that is provided for by law, the question is about timing, ” he added.
However, Garcia also considered the other side of the issue, saying that a low RPT attracts more business owners to conduct business in the city.
“If you look at it from the standpoint sa business owner it also attracts business owners but it also benefits…employment will increase mo daghan ang business taxes,” said Garcia.
The Vice Mayor also expressed that the current collection can suffice for the city’s daily operations.
“We have sufficient to run day-to-day operations in the city but when you [are] talking [about] big-ticket projects like MRB nga pila ka buok in the billions of pesos or flood control projects that would require billions,” Garcia said.
Despite Rama’s statement that the ordinance must be passed within March, Garcia said that Wenceslao will introduce it for second reading this April. /with reports from Niña Mae Oliverio
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