QC barangays receive tax share

The Quezon City government has turned over to the 142 barangays a total of P562,645,372.43, representing their real property tax share for year 2003.

Mayor Feliciano Belmonte Jr. distributed the last batch of checks amounting to P60.6 million to barangay captains during simple ceremonies held at the Bulwagang City Hall earlier this week.

"With the funds, you can now carry out development projects in your localities, a very good step toward empowering barangays," Belmonte told the barangay officials.

The mayor said fully developed barangays like Pansol, Bagumbayan, Ugong Norte and Loyola Heights received the biggest share due to the high value of properties in said localities.

Other barangays which are not as fully developed received lower shares of the real property tax.

To raise the share of depressed barangays, particularly those with large areas and populations, the city government has undertaken massive development projects, including the concreting of roads.

The city government has spent at least P2 billion for infrastructure projects all over the city.

Belmonte said investing in development of a particular barangay is one way of raising the market value of real property, thus also increasing the tax share of barangays.

He cited the need to devolve responsibilities so as to empower barangays in delivering basic services to the people.

"You must exercise your responsibility to the people," Belmonte said.

Under the local government code, the barangays are entitled to 30 percent of the real property tax collected by the city government.

Aside from giving them their 30 percent share, the mayor also said that barangays are given the responsibility of issuing clearances for small businesses in their localities.

He said the system is aimed at cutting red tape in securing permits for small businesses.

Belmonte said the innovation adopted by the city government has drastically cut the processing time of securing business permits in the city. — Perseus Echeminada