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Cebu News

Cebu City BPLO logs P1.896B revenue in Q1

Iris Hazel Mascardo - The Freeman
This content was originally published by The Freeman following its editorial guidelines. Philstar.com hosts its content but has no editorial control over it.

CEBU, Philippines — The Cebu City Business Processing and Licensing Office (BPLO) reported a significant increase in revenue collections for the first quarter of 2025, reaching P1.896 billion—marking a P252.9 million hike compared to the same period last year.

During the flag-raising ceremony on Monday, Cebu City Mayor Raymond Alvin Garcia commended the BPLO for its improved performance and encouraged the office to continue its efforts in generating sufficient funding for the city's development initiatives.

According to data provided to the media, the BPLO collected P1,643,041,999 during the first quarter of 2024. This year’s Q1 collection of P1.896 billion represents a considerable increase.

In a separate interview, BPLO head Terence Saavedra attributed the growth to the office's aggressive permit mapping campaign. As part of this strategy, the BPLO hired additional personnel focused solely on monitoring malls and their stalls to ensure compliance with licensing regulations.

“Dako na kaayo nag tabang nato kay ang uban, wa pa ma renew, ato man na’ng I show cause ug uban nga wala pa gyud ka apply og permit atong man na’ng I penalty of 5,000,” Saavedra said, noting that the team identifies businesses that have not renewed their licenses or have yet to apply for one and enforces penalties as necessary.

Saavedra explained that the permit mapping team was formed after recognizing that Cebu City, despite being a highly urbanized area, was experiencing lower-than-expected collections due to limited monitoring and unregistered businesses. The team is currently concentrating its efforts within the city’s shopping malls.

Meanwhile, Garcia expressed hope that the recently issued Executive Order (EO) granting a two-year grace period for delinquent Real Property Tax (RPT) payers will be widely disseminated to maximize its impact on collections.

The amnesty, which began on July 5, 2024, will run until July 4, 2026.

“So if we feel nga gamay pa (taxpayers) perhaps that we need more information dissemination labi na sa atong mga business community ug atong property owners,” Garcia said.

He added that the city government will intensify its information campaign by sending out letters and assessments to property owners, urging them to take advantage of the tax amnesty. Garcia also mentioned that he has yet to review the amnesty’s impact on overall collections.

The implementation of the amnesty follows the enactment of the Property Valuation and Assessment Reform Act (RPVARA), signed into law by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on June 13, 2024. The RPVARA aims to standardize and improve the valuation and assessment of real property nationwide by introducing a uniform appraisal system aligned with international standards. — (FREEMAN)

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