Malabon to increase regulatory fees by 300 percent

The Malabon City government will increase regulatory fees by as much as 300 percent starting this week as part of its drive to raise funds to support various projects lined-up for the year.

Mayor Canuto "Tito" Oreta approved the planned increase in fees with the unanimous backing of the city council to raise some P60 million to fund the city’s ongoing projects, especially those being implemented by the city engineering office.

At least 34 major projects, including river walls and floodgates at the Muzon-Dampalit river, as well as the construction and rehabilitation of drainage systems and other waterways under the supervision of city engineer Ulysses Tumbocon are expected to be finished by the first quarter of this year.

Malabon City, which is about a meter below sea level, is often hit by floods. During high tide, most of its barangays are also submerged in seawater.

City secretary Danilo Diaz said that the adjustment in fees has become imperative also to cover the "social cost to the community."

Among the regulatory fees the city government imposes include payment for the mayor’s permit, sanitary permit, engineering and building permits, renovation and excavation permits, issuance of civil registry documents, annulment fee, and naturalization fee.

Diaz said that an increase in medical fees at the Pagamutang Bayan ng Malabon is also necessary to make the hospital self-sustaining.

Diaz said the civil registry office earns only around P1.2 million a year but its expenses can go as high as P7 million, making it necessary to adjust the fees.

"Actually, we still have the lowest rates compared to other local government units in Metro Manila," Bong Padua, Oreta’s public information officer said.