ILOILO City – Iloilo and Negros Occidental were among the 10 richest provinces in the country, the 2018 annual financial report on local government units (LGUs) of the Commission on Audit (COA) showed.
With asset reaching P11.442 billion, Iloilo ranked No. 8 – up by some P1 billion from its 2017’s P10.045 billion assets.
Negros Occidental, on the other hand, ranked No. 6 with assets reaching P14.446 billion – over P2 billion higher from its 2017 assets of P12.889 billion.
Contributing to the increase in Iloilo’s assets were the revenues raked in by the provincial government’s local enterprises such as district hospitals and the stepped up collection of real property taxes, according to Jean Marie Umadhay, head of the Provincial Treasurer’s Office.
The provincial government also earned from the auction of some of its disposable properties, Umadhay added.
Assets that COA referred to covered cash, buildings and infrastructures among others owned by the provincial government.
“Iloilo also received grants from the national government through the Philippine Rural Development Project (PRDP) and Conditional Matching Grant to Provinces (CMGP) for infrastructures projects such as roads and bridges,” said Umadhay.
Here are the 10 richest provinces in the Philippines, according to COA:
* Cebu – P35.659 billion
* Compostela Valley – P19.615 billion
* Batangas – P18.186 billion
* Rizal – P18.076 billion
* Bukidnon – P15.278 billion
* Negros Occidental – P14.446 billion
* Laguna – P11.587 billion
* Iloilo – P11.442 billion
* Palawan – P11.277 billion
* Zambales – P11.241 billion
The 10 richest LGUs:
* Makati City – P230.833 billion
* Quezon City – P87.285 billion
* Manila – P40.711 billion
* Pasig City – P38.985 billion
* Cebu City – P33.884 billion
* Taguig City – P24.536 billion
* Caloocan City – P18.381 billion
* Pasay City – P18.278 billion
* Davao City – P16.259 billion
* Calamba City – P12.606 billion
The 10 richest municipalities:
* Cainta, Rizal – P4.437 billion
* Mariveles, Bataan – P3.016 billion
* Sual, Pangasinan – P2.805 billion
* Sto. Tomas, Batangas – P2.566 billion
* Binangonan, Rizal – P2.218 billion
* Caluya, Antique – P2.161 billion
* Tanay, Rizal – P2.014 billion
* Carmona, Cavite – P1.969 billion
* Silang, Cavite – P1.9 billion
* Calaca, Batangas – P1.876 billion./PN
