The Treasurer's Office of the Oriental Negros government based in Dumaguete City is preparing for the auction of properties owned by delinquent taxpayers in the province, in a bid to collect about P105 million in unpaid real estate taxes.

Danilo Mendez, provincial treasurer, said it would be the first massive auction to be conducted by the province.

More than 90 percent of the properties subject to auction involve land and all the delinquent taxpayers are individuals.

Mendez said the auction will start with the properties of the first 30 delinquent taxpayers in the towns, particularly in Guihulngan that registered the highest delinquency rate in real estate tax, at P19 million collectibles.

Last year, Mendez said the collection efficiency of Guihulngan was only 20 percent although he did not provide figures.

In Mabinay town, about P12 million in real estate taxes remain uncollected while in Sta. Catalina, delinquencies reached more than P8 million.

The town of Vallehermoso has the lowest unpaid real estate taxes of only about P1 million.

Mendez said the auction aims at generating income for the barangays, towns and the province.

He said the law provides that proceeds from real property tax shall be distributed as follows: 35 percent for the province, town - 40 percent and the barangay - 25 percent.*

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