SANTOL, La Union—The mayor and municipal treasurer of this fifth-class municipality have urged residents to promptly pay their real property taxes so the local government can fund various education programs not covered by the Department of Education.
“There are a lot of delinquent tax payers. But I told them they should settle what is due for 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,” Mayor Magno Wailan said.
Wailan said some problems with lot ownership, particularly in the upland barangays, were a hindrance to residents paying their taxes. But the mayor said he already instructed the municipal assessor’s office to resolve the matter.
“I appeal to the residents and tax payers in our town to pay your obligations. The money to be collected from your payments will be returned to you, especially to your children who need education. I want education to be priority for them,” Wailan said.
Town treasurer Jonafel Guzmani said proceeds of the real property tax collection will be split evenly between special education and 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 board teachers.
Other services funded by RPT taxes are programs for poverty alleviation, health, environment and infrastructure.
Guzmani said they have strengthened their collection through a tax campaign by personally going to the barangays.
“During barangay assemblies, we explained to them the computation of their taxes. There are already residents who updated their tax records but there are still delinquents. We go to upland barangays for our tax campaign with our records and receipt,” she said.
Guzmani said the RPT payment will last until March this year, and those who will comply within the period will get more than a 10-percent discount.
“We are calling on our residents to continue paying their taxes because it is not only for the operation of our municipality but for the education of our children, particularly those funded by the special education tax, which are not provided by DepEd,” she said.
