By BOY RYAN B. ZABAL
KALIBO, Aklan — Sangguniang Panlalawigan (SP) members appealed for tax exemption or a minimal increase in real property taxes for farmers.
SP member Emmanuel Soviet Russia Dela Cruz, agriculture committee chair, was lobbying for the exemption of all agricultural lands or an increase of only 10 percent from the schedule of real properties’ fair market values in the proposed general revision for 2015.
Dela Cruz and committee members Ramon Gelito and Nelson Sta. Maria claimed that “the proposed real tax property increase of 30 percent would impact the profits of local farmers,” considering the agricultural damage caused by super typhoon “Yolanda” last year.
“Yolanda” affected 17,344 hectares of rice farms and 46,000 hectares of coconut plantations in the province, data from the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council showed.
A damage assessment report from the Philippine Coconut Authority also showed that the typhoon destroyed 1,084,272 coconut trees in the municipalities of Libacao, Batan, Altavas and Balete.
Other factors that “could make life difficult for the farmers” are “the worsening climate change, the ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) Economic Integration, and the high interest rates charged by some lending institutions and unscrupulous individuals,” Dela Cruz said in a privilege speech.
He said a heavy tax on farmers will only result to low tax collection and may lead to land confiscation by the government.
“Our hearts are bleeding for our farmers, the people who feed the nation,” he told fellow SP members. “We hope you feel the same way, too.”
Once approved by the SP, the schedule proposed by the Provincial Assessor’s Office will be the basis of the general revision of assessments and property classification in the province by next year.
Under the law, local government units should conduct a general revision of assessments and property classification every three years to reflect the true market values of properties.
To date, Aklan has yet to revise the schedule of market values, which had 2005 as base year. (Aklan Forum Journal/PN)
