Collect the taxes!

The Provincial Assessor said there are some P586 million tax collectible from real property under the agrarian reform program in Negros Occidental. Collection efficiency was only 2.64 percent, showing that only P15.9 million was collected out of P602.5 million from previous years to 2006.

Records show that, in the cities of Silay and La Carlota alone, P42.7 million real property taxes have not yet been collected from owners of landholdings covered by CARP.

These figures were provided by both Silay City Mayor Carlo Gamban and La Carlota Mayor Jeffrey Ferrer.

I ask both Mayor Gamban and Mayor Ferrer, to go collect the taxes. And start public auction of lands that are not paying. If the land reform beneficiaries are deprived of their land, so be it. They deserve it. We join you in this fight.

They should be made to understand, they have an obligation to pay taxes to government. If they do not, government must take the land from their possession and auction if off to people who can afford to buy. And can afford to pay taxes on it.

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On the evaluation of cities by COA, Silay and La Carlota were not known to have performed well. And the answer is they were not able to collect their real estate taxes.

La Castellana Mayor Enrico Elumba has made a thorough study of taxes of CARPED lands that are not paid. And this puts up a burden to the local government which cannot give benefits to the people for shortage of funds.

I would like to believe all the mayors of Negros Occidental have a copy of the study of Mayor Elumba.

Another city I know suffering from this problem is Bago. It has very extensive areas of CARPED lands that are not paying taxes to the government.

I would like to suggest to the city officials of Bago, foreclose those lands with unpaid real estate taxes and auction them off.

Many of these CARPED lands are now being leased to the original owners or to other people. But the leassee does not pay because the land is not his. And the benefactor does not also pay because he has been used to it.

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The non-payment of taxes has been drilled in the minds of land reform beneficiaries by the people with some agenda. If people remain poor, they are easily manipulated.

But, this is bad because it does not teach our people to be responsible. They continue to be dependent on the dole-out. This is one reason why our country has remained poor. The rural areas continue to be unproductive.

So, let those cities and towns who have real estate tax collectible to foreclose those lands with unpaid taxes and auction them off to those who want to buy them and, naturally, make them productive.

I can just imagine the big increase in our agricultural production if those agrarian reform lands are made productive.

To both Mayor Carlo Gamban of Silay and Mayor Jeffrey Ferrer, go ahead, foreclose those lands not paying their taxes. You have all the reasons.

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I am very proud and happy that our Ms. Perla Leonardia was given the Most Outstanding Alumni Award by La Consolacion College last Sunday. Her award was for her civic and community involvement. She was president of Sampaguita Lions Club twice and came out to be one of its outstanding presidents. Also twice.

Three others also bagged the same award, Dr. Rena Magno-Nora for medicine, Geoffrey Ababao for business, and Joey Muyco for environment.

Movie Queen Jesusa Sonora-Poe (Susan Roces to movie fans) got the Most Distinguished Alumni Award and former faculty member Antonio Antivola was also given a special award.

Tony had been a very close friend. Just before he was downed by a stroke, he was always at either Negros Press Club or Sunshine Channel where he enjoyed exchanging ideas with us. Tony was a music wizard.

Dr. Rena Magno-Nora I first met in the early fifties during the national convention of the Student Catholic Action hosted by LCC. She was already a student leader. We were from the University of San Agustin in Iloilo.

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But who to me is the most deserving is Perla in the category of civic and community service. What I know in many awards, is that screening committee members always look for a candidate's involvement in civic and community work. A candidate may amass billions, he may be at the top of his profession, but if he has no civic and community involvement, this can disqualify him. What has he done to the least of his brethren? is a question always asked.

But more important to us, is that Perla has run our Star Printing very well. One does not have to be a business graduate to be a good business manager. Frugality counts a lot. That's Perla Ramos-Leonardia.

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I got the letter La Carlota City Mayor Jeffrey Ferrer promised to send me. Read it in full in the Reader's column.*

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