By BOY RYAN B. ZABAL
KALIBO, Aklan — Taxpayers including local officials will hold a protest rally against the ordinance that increased real property taxes in the province.
They questioned the tax adjustments provided in Tax Ordinance No. 001, which they described as “excessive, unjust, unconscionable, and confiscatory in nature,” said Sangguniang Bayan of Kalibo member Augusto Tolentino.
Tolentino said the protest rally, to be held on Sept. 8 at the Kalibo Pastrana Park, aims to convince the Sangguniang Panlalawigan (SP) to reduce the tax increases by amending the ordinance.
Approved on June 18, the tax ordinance, which provided an updated valuation of market values for real properties, will take effect on Jan. 1 next year.
Taxes on Class A properties in Metro Kalibo — barangays Poblacion, New Buswang, Estancia, and Andagao — and Boracay was increased by 139 percent.
Base market values for properties were also increased to P440 from P200 in New Washington and to P350 from P160 in Madalag.
For commercial lands in Metro Kalibo and New Washington, taxes were also increased by 163 percent and 98 percent, respectively.
Mayor Edgar Peralta of New Washington, meanwhile, said there could be “legal infirmities” in the approval of the ordinance, citing the non-publication of new base market values prior to the measure’s approval.
For his part, SP secretary Odon Bandiola believes “there were no procedural infirmities in the passage of the tax ordinance.”
The SP received Gov. Florencio Miraflores’ request for the revision of real property market values on Nov. 28, 2013. It then conducted a series of committee hearings on Dec. 9, 11, 16, and 18 last year, and Jan. 8 and 15 this year.
Public hearings were also held among property owners, municipal and barangay officials, and owners and representatives of big business, at the SP session hall here and in Boracay.
The SP held committee hearings to evaluate inputs from public hearings on May 5, 7, 19, 21, and 27, and June 2, 4, 8, and 14. It enacted the tax ordinance on June 18.
According to Bandiola, the tax ordinance was published in a local weekly paper on July 26 and Aug. 4 and 9.
Provincial Assistant Administrator Gerick Templonuevo said in a radio report that real property tax proceeds from basic tax are shared between the province (35 percent), municipalities (40 percent) and barangays (25 percent).
Templonuevo said local government units are required by law to revise their schedule of market values once every three years. Aklan is currently using the 2006 general revision of property assessments and classifications.
He also said that, contrary to claims of those opposing the tax ordinance, charitable institutions, churches, parsonages, or convents directly and exclusively used for religious, charitable or educational purposes, are exempted from tax. (Aklan Forum Journal/PN)
