Wednesday, February 28, 2007
Bacolod records more gains
By Erwin Ambo S. Delilan
THE City of Bacolod earned a total of P197.4 million in taxes last year out of the P26.8 billion gross sales from 16,500 businesses. This is P55 million higher compared to last year's P142 million out of the P25.4 billion from 15,572 businesses.
Even given this, it was also reported that more than 13,000 people lost their jobs last year.
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Mayor Evelio Leonardia hopes to reverse the loss of jobs with the presence of four call centers and the opening of SM City in Bacolod on Friday.
Contractors/services topped among the businesses in Bacolod with a total of 6,985 counts, employing 2,421 people with a total of P163.2 million invested capital.
Wholesalers/retailers/distributors/dealers are in the second spot with 5,806 counts, 46,480 employed people and P107 million invested capital.
Public market ranked third with 1,149 counts, 23,927 employees but with only P365,000 in invested capital.
Fourth are public eating-places with 955 counts, 10,395 employed people and P20.8 million invested capital.
Manufacturers/producers/assemblers ranked fifth with 693 counts, 10,667 employees and P30.1 million in capital invested.
In the sixth place are banks and other financial institutions with 459 counts, 3,140 employed people and P20.8 million invested capital.
Ranked seventh are the real estate operators with 446 counts, 4,487 employees and P23.3 million invested capital.
In eighth place are amusement places/devices with 388 counts, 3,011 employed people and P17.1 million invested capital.
Other establishment ranked ninth with 166 counts, 1,009 people and P4.8 million invested capital.
Hotels/motels/pension houses/lodging houses/boarding houses are in the 10th spot having 144 counts, 1,615 employees and P6.1 million invested capital.
The City also recorded 14,824 permit application in 2006 or a more or less 2,000 higher compared to 12,681 in 2005.
Leonardia attributed the city's good performance in tax collection to its Tax Revenue, Assessment and Computerization System (Tracs).
With Tracs, Leonardia said the payment process for real estate taxes, business permits, and others are shortened making it easy for both taxpayers and tax clerks.
Leonardia said this computerization program is assisted by PRMDP-AuSAID, which began during his first term in 1995 to 1998.
This also caused the city to be honored as one of the country's 2005-Anvil Awardees for its One-Stop-Shop Business Permits Processing.
Manpower
However, in terms of manpower, the city's record indicated a drop of about 13,000 from a total of 172,604 employed people in 2005 to only 159,321 last year.
But the present administration is hopeful that with the presence of four call centers and the opening of the giant SM City mall, thousands of Bacoleños and even those outside of Bacolod will be employed.
Leonardia is also hoping that the City's tourism promotion will be good this year, expecting more tourists coming from Asia like China to spend vacation in the city and the rest of its neighboring places in Negros Occidental.
Last year, a total of 245,000 foreign and local tourists visited Bacolod or with 9.1 percent increase compared to 2005.For more Philippine news, visit Sun.Star Cebu. (February 27, 2007 issue)
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