MAJORITY of taxpayers in Bacolod City expressed their support for the implementation of new real property tax (RPT) rates by 2018, a city official said.
Councilor Dindo Ramos, proponent of the RPT increase ordinance who led the first public hearing Tuesday, September 26, said most of the taxpayers agreed and shared their concerns on how they could pay their taxes.
He said the taxpayers asked the city not to exceed the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) zonal valuation, and expressed their thoughts on the previous ordinance which was declared null and void by the Department of Justice during the time of the previous administration.
“We are here to hear the sentiments of the taxpayers. Some of them want a staggered assessment so we will discuss it with the City Council,” Ramos added.
Also present in the public hearing were Councilor Caesar Distrito, City Assessor Maphilindo Polvora, village officials, subdivision homeowners, among others.
Ramos said most of the taxpayers support the RPT increase because they want a better delivery of services for the people of Bacolod.
The proposed RPT increase has already been published in the local daily newspapers and was reviewed by the regional director of the Department of Finance.
The proposed RPT increased was also presented by Polvora to various stakeholders, including the Chamber of Real Estate Builders Associations (Creba) and Subdivision and Housing Developers Association-Negros Occidental Chapter (SHDA).
Creba and SHDA were among those who filed complaints against the previous administration to stop the implementation of the new RPT rates endorsed by former mayor Monico Puentevella.
Ramos said now is the right time to impose a land tax increase because it is already a long overdue.
In Section 219 of the Local Government Code states that the city should update the schedule of market value of the RPT every three years.
Polvora had earlier said the most affected by the RPT increase are the subdivision or housing developers.
They will incur high taxes because the areas were developed from agricultural land into residential land, he said.