ITOGON, Benguet -- The municipal government of Itogon in Benguet province will use the mining taxes it received from Philex Mining Corp., as host to the firm's Padcal Mine, mainly for health and livelihood projects.
Itogon Mayor Victorio Palangdan said on Wednesday that part of the PHP7.2 million business taxes the town had collected from Philex for 2018 would be used to further the town's feeding and nutrition programs.
The town's administration is also set to put up community livelihood projects, such as souvenir item production, “bigasang bayan” or cheap rice market, food processing, and neighborhood retail stores.
Palangdan added that assistance to local farmers, especially in mitigating the effects of climate change, and other income opportunities such as mushroom and flower production are also being eyed.
“There are many problems in our town that we need to address, like repairs of several public school classrooms and improvement of our tourism industry,” he added.
The municipalities of Itogon and Tuba are host to the Padcal Mine, Philex Mining's gold-and-copper operations in Benguet.
“With our up-to-date tax payments, we fulfill our duties to our host and neighboring communities and help them develop and implement their various social projects on time,” said Roselyn Dahilan, the finance group manager of the mining site. (PNA)
