Bernabe bats for 400% tax hike

Parañaque Mayor Florencio Bernabe Jr. appealed yesterday to residents to understand the proposed increase in real property taxes to improve the delivery of basic and social services.

The city council is seeking a 400-percent hike in real property tax (RPT) rates, the increase staggered over three years, prompting homeowners, especially those in BH Homes, to criticize the lawmaking body.

Bernabe explained that the city is lagging behind its neighboring localities because of low income for the past 16 years.

“Residents, whether they live in a city or municipality, big or small, expect their local governments to show sustained delivery of quality basic social services and development,” he said.

“Taxes are the lifeblood of governments. Taxes fuel the engines of sustained progress and development, without which or the lack of it usually results in stagnation or slowdown in economic activity,” he stressed.

He noted that the last time Parañaque government revisited, reviewed and adjusted its property tax structure was in l992 which means that the rate of economic progress and infrastructure development has been at a snail’s pace compared to other cities like Muntinlupa and Taguig. – Michael Punongbayan