La Union upland villagers urged to pay taxes
The mayor of this 5th class municipality in La Union and its municipal treasurer are urging residents to promptly pay their real property taxes ( RPT) while delinquent taxpayers were asked to comply with the law.
“There are a lot of delinquent taxpayers. But I told them they should settle what is due to the municipal government because what they are paying in the municipality will be given back to them through basic services such as education for their children. I want education to be a priority,” Mayor Magno Wailan said.
The municipality has various education programs that the budget from the Department of Education does not cover.
The mayor said there are problems in the lot ownership of some of the residents, particularly in the upland barangay ( villages) that are a hindrance to the payment of taxes.
But Wailan said he has already instructed the assessor’s office to resolve the matter.
Treasurer Jonafel Guzmani said 50 percent of the real property tax being collected by the municipality will be spent for “special education” and 50 percent will be used to fund basic services.
Services under special education are the operation and maintenance of public schools, construction and repair of school buildings, facilities and equipment, educational research, purchase of books, sports development and honoraria for local school teachers.
Other services funded by the RPT tax are programs for poverty alleviation, health care, environment and infrastructure.
Guzmani said they have strengthened their collection by conducting tax campaigns and personally going to the villages.
She added that the RPT payment is being collected from January until March this year and those who comply within the period will get more than 10- percent discount.