REVENUE COLLECTION. Employees of the Bayambang Municipal Government receive the certificate of achievement from the Bureau of Local Government Finance (BLGF) at Supreme Hotel in Baguio City on June 24, 2019, as the town ranks 5th in revenue collection efficiency. The town's collection reached PHP111.020 million in 2017, exceeding the PHP44.7-million target set by BLGF. (Photo courtesy of Balon Bayambang's facebook page)
BAYAMBANG, Pangasinan -- The local government unit (LGU) of this town was awarded the fifth place in the nationwide local revenue collection efficiency in the municipality category.
Municipal Treasurer Luisita Danan said the municipality collected PHP111.02 million in revenues in 2017, surpassing the PHP44.7-million target set by the Bureau of Local Government Finance (BLGF).
Danan attributed the 248.2-percent collection efficiency during the year to its massive taxing information drive and cooperation of the taxpayers.
“Since Mayor Cezar Quiambao assumed office in 2016, we have increased regulatory fees in the market and in real property taxes. It was not easy at first to convince the taxpayers that it was necessary since the increase was mandated by law. But eventually, as we go to them in barangays and in every avenue, we explain it to them,” she said in an interview Friday.
Danan added the LGU brings to the community its basic services, such as medical and dental missions, vaccination, distribution of seeds, among others, along with information campaign.
“For them to see where their taxes are going, that the LGU has a lot of projects to offer to them,” she said.
Danan disclosed that the bulk of their collection came from business tax or the economic enterprise, and real property taxes.
“Real property tax is the most stable source of income of the LGU and the valuation of the land increases over time,” she said.
Municipal assessor Annie de Leon said they implemented their best practices in appraisal and assessment of properties, as they campaigned in the town’s 77 barangays.
“We urged our fellow citizens here to pay their taxes to sustain local revenue because it is where funding of the town’s projects come from,” she said in a separate interview Friday.
De Leon said the assessment on revenue collection was done by the BLGF in 2017, but the award was only given recently. (PNA)
