Taxes provide enough basic social services to Ilonggos
City Mayor Jerry Treñas said taxes collected from the different types of businesses in the city helped the city government in achieving its vision of providing sufficient social services to every Ilonggo. The services vary from health services to socialized housing.
Treñas, in last Wednesday’s awarding of 60 top tax payers, stressed the importance of the revenues collected by the city government brought about by strong public and private cooperation. The city has already surpassed its revenue target by 102 percent as of October 22. The City Treasurer’s Office has collected P973,153,050 since January this year surpassing the city’s budget estimate of P958,494,995.
Business and other taxes topped the collections at P302,733,398 or 112 percent of the P269,360,000 target for the whole year. Real property taxes collections amounted to P158,799,976 or 97 percent of P163,499,717 target for this year.
Treñas, speaking before the awardees, said the city could not achieve such breakthrough in its tax collection effort without the help and cooperation of the business sector. “We could not have accomplished all these without the help of our taxpayers who provided the needed boosts that enabled the city’s uninterrupted ascent to the apex of sustainable development.”
He added Iloilo City has proven its thrust of being a promising investment hub. The presence of qualified manpower and continued infrastructure development is a clear indication of an active public-private partnership among the stakeholders. “Taxes make things happen in the pursuit of socio-economic goals through the provisions of basic necessities for the well-being and welfare of our people.”
Iloilo City is now recognized as one of the leaders of business excellence in the Asia-Pacific region. “We are truly proud in receiving the Palladium Hall of Fame citation as the first. It is the only award attained by a public or private organization from the Philippines,” said Treñas.
He said taxes are the lifeblood of the government. Its significance in the delivery of basic social services could not be undermined aside from providing employment to Ilonggos. Treñas cited that taxes enabled the city government to fund the hiring of police auxiliary.
The mayor also attributed the procurement of new patrol cars and installation of streetlights to the taxes collected by the city. It also helped in providing socialized housing and distribution of PhilHealth insurance cards to some 30,000 indigents.
