No tax deductions for beautification project participants

CEBU, Philippines - Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama is not amenable to the request of businesswoman Mariquita Salimbangon-Yeung to deduct the donations of establishments along Osmeña Boulevard from their tax obligations so more will be encouraged to donate to the beautification project.

Yeung proposed this during a meeting sponsored by the Super Beautification Council last Wednesday where the council met with establishment owner along Osmeña Blvd. to present the rationale and the details of the Beautification Project.

But Rama did not agree with it because he said that the owners’ obligation as taxpayers must not be compromised in the fulfillment of their social responsibilities. The SBC is tapping the business establishments in the area that will be beautified as their corporate social responsibility to their host community.

The project aims to facelift Osmeña Boulevard, particularly, from corner Sanciangko St. up to the Capitol building.

The sidewalks will be rebuilt to ideal width and shall feature murals, uniform stalls for vendors, uniform plant boxes and plants, brick pathways, covered meters and a public media board for posts and ads.

There is also a proposal for a weekly street bazaar along the sidewalk. All vendors will have a uniform T-shirt with the words “I Love Cebu, Keep it Clean” which is part of the cleanliness drive along Osmeña Blvd.

The center island will also have changes. The lamp posts will be replaced by shorter ones while the trees will be replaced with shrubs that will not obstruct the view of the Capitol building.

The Capitol building is one of the most beautiful capitol buildings in the country. It was built in 1937 under the administration of former governor Sotero Cabahug. The vision of the SBC is to make Osmeña Blvd. a reflection of historical Cebu.

To realize the project, the group headed by Yeung will need P50 million. During the meeting last Wednesday, they were able to raise P1.1 million. Of this, P1 million was donated by Yeung while the P100,000 was donated by businessman Bunny Pages.

The group was formed after Yeung complained to the mayor about the condition of the sidewalks which were too narrow and full of obstructions.

Rama challenged Yeung to take action on all her criticisms and help the city government realize her dream to make Cebu beautiful not only for Cebuanos but also for foreign and local tourists. (FREEMAN)