188 city barangays receive P19-M share in RPT

The 188 barangays in Caloocan City received more than P19-million share in real property tax (RPT) collected for the first quarter of this year during a simple ceremony Friday at the office of Mayor Enrico Echiverri.

Echiverri said that a total of P19,152,560 RPT share released to the barangays by the city government represents taxes collected from establishments within their areas of jurisdiction from January to March this year.

The mayor said that in return, the RPT collected would be used by barangays concerned for their respective development and other vital projects.

"The real property tax paid by the various establishments in their respective barangays will definitely go back to the people in terms of development projects which will be very beneficial to the grassroots level," Echiverri said.

Meanwhile, Caloocan City Liga ng mga Barangay president and city councilor Ricojudge Echiverri also assured residents that the timely release of their RPT share would eventually expedite the implementation of various development projects in each barangay in the city.

The P19.2-million tax revenue was equally divided to the 188 barangays with each receiving a total of P101,875.

In Valenzuela City, Mayor Sherwin Gatchalian also released over the weekend P1.2-million worth of firefighting equipment to the city’s Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) office.

Gatchalian turned over to local BFP chief Agapito Nacario 80 banker suits, 21 handheld radios and a blinker.

According to Nacario, the city’s fire department has only two fire trucks with 140 personnel tasked to protect a population of around 500,000.

"This is the very first time that the Valenzuela fire department received firefighting equipment from the city government. And we are very thankful to the mayor for his support," Nacario said.

Gatchalian assured his firefighters that more necessary equipment and facilities such as fire trucks would soon be provided to them by the city government. – Pete Laude