Wednesday, January 16, 2008
‘We’re better than Capitol’
SEEING the need to point out that it’s “not poor,” the Cebu City Government will come up with full-page advertisements this week declaring it is even better than Cebu Province in terms of tax collection.
“This is to tell the Cebuanos that we are not so luoy ba, that the City Government is generating income. If you consider how much we actually earned, layo ra sila (we’re way ahead),” Mayor Tomas Osmeña told a press conference yesterday.
He showed reporters a mock-up of the advertisement that declares: “We don’t claim that we’re No. 1, yet the figures show that we are!”
Comparative figures are presented, with Cebu City besting Cebu Province and the cities of Mandaue, Lapu-Lapu, Talisay, Danao and Toledo in combined collection of real property and business taxes plus other local income for 2005 and 2006.
According to the ad, Cebu City posted a two-year tax collection of P3.212 billion compared to the Province’s P1.605 billion.
“The Capitol said they’re very rich. I’m not the kind of person who wants to brag. But we have to show them also. After all, what did I promise the Cebuanos? To make Cebu City number one,” he said.
“It is only fair to show that we’re not so luoy,” he added.
Sought for the Capitol’s comment, lawyer Rory Jon Sepulveda said that Cebu City’s tax collection figures were welcome news, as these would enable better government services like drainage, roads, better traffic and peace and order.
“That’s great. At least, it has enough resources to spend for the needs and demands of the City,” said Sepulveda, the Provincial Government’s consultant on information and revenue generation.
He said that the Capitol isn’t bragging when its officials say that Cebu Province is number one, because that happens to be true and the province’s slogan besides.
According to the ad, Cebu City collected P1.42 billion in 2005 compared to the Capitol’s P713.022 million, and P1.793 billion in 2006 compared to the Province’s P891.579 million that same year.
The same ad listed Mandaue (P392.895 million; P481,583 million) next to the Capitol, followed by Lapu-Lapu (P387.306 million; P450.646 million), Talisay (P124.455 million; P145.183 million), Danao (P74.011 million; P83.028 million), and Toledo (P45.492 million; P63.833 million).
Mayor Osmeña said that while the Capitol takes pride in its revenue, the bulk of it actually comes from its Internal Revenue Allotment (IRA) share.
Cebu City, meanwhile, just receives over P300 million as its annual IRA share, which will be reduced with the conversion of three Cebu towns to cities last year.
The ad also mentioned that “according to the Department of Finance, Cebu City has the highest collection of real property tax nationwide outside Metro Manila, beating Davao, Iloilo, Cagayan de Oro, Bacolod, etc.”
The mayor said the Cebu City Government is generating income, which is why it managed to pay its foreign loan obligations on time last year even though the South Road Properties (SRP) is not yet earning.
“We are very well positioned as far as our agenda (to earn from the SRP) is concerned, and I don’t want to exchange our position with (that of) the Province or any other cities,” he said. (RHM/With MBG)
For Bisaya stories from Cebu. Click here. (January 16, 2008 issue)
Write letter to the editor.Click here.
Join the Sun.Star message board.Click here. |
