75 outstanding taxpayers honored

CEBU, Philippines - The city government awarded 75 outstanding taxpayers during the 4th Cebu City Taxpayer’s Night of Awards and Recognition last Monday.

It is the city government’s way to give recognition that is due to taxpayers who are religiously paying their taxes at city hall and to whom the city owes billions of its annual revenues.

The event, held at the Marco Polo Plaza in Nivel Hills, Apas, was attended by the awardees and Cebu City officials. No councilor, however, showed up at the event. Mayor Michael Rama said the councilors may have been very busy to skip such an important event.

Taxpayers were awarded based on the different categories of top 20 real property taxpayers, top 20 business taxpayers, top five Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA)-registered taxpayers, top five contractors of infrastructure projects, top five market vendor taxpayers, top five fish vendor taxpayers, top five taxpayers with highest social amelioration tax and top five barangays each from north and south district with highest real property collection.

They were chosen based on their performance in 2011. City Treasurer Emma Villarete said the city would not have reached its current stature if not for these people in the private sector who are helping the city government deliver services to its constituents and who continuously provide jobs.

In behalf of the city government, she promised to provide more quick, quality and best public service with utmost transparency and accountability. She said the city will strive better to become business friendly.

Rama, in his speech also assured the taxpayers that their money is being used for the delivery of services and not a single cent shall go to his pocket.

The top 20 real property taxpayers, in order, are SM Prime Holdings Inc.,

Waterfront Phils Inc., Ayala Center Cebu, J. King and Sons Co. Inc., Cebu Private Power Corp, Cebu Insular Hotel Co., Lucky Group (GCM), Cebu Central Realty Corp., Gaisano Metro Ayala, Five Power Venture Dev. Corp., Manila Midtown Hotel and Land, Eduard/Edward/Eduardo Kokseng, Bigfoot Palms Inc., Robinsons Land Corp., Casino Espanol de Cebu, Redtail Ventures Fund, Oriental Port and Allied Services Corp. (Opascor), Citi Appliance Corp., DG3 Corp and Florete-Caperonce Realty Corp.

The top 20 business taxpayers, in order, are Visayan Electric Company Inc., SM Prime Holdings Inc., Cebu Private Power Corp., Vicsal Development Corp., Sykes Asia Inc., Cebu Leisure Company Inc., Freemont Foods Corp., Cebu Holdings Inc., Amlan Hydro Power Inc., Multi-Stores Corporation, Waterfront Cebu City Hotel and Casino, Philippine Long Distance Telephone Co., Land Bank of the Philippines, Golden Arches Development Corp., Filinvest Land Inc., Oriental Port and Allied Services Corp., Prulife Insurance Corp of UK, Cebu Central Realty Corp., Aboitiz Equity Ventures Inc. and Syntech Properties Inc.

Lexmark Research and Development Corp., J.P. Morgan Chase Bank, Primary Properties Corp., Aegis People Support Inc. and Cebu Property Ventures and Development Corp. are the top five PEZA-registered taxpayers while Dakay Construction and Development Corp., Goldfin Construction, Jegma Construction and Development Corp., Geety Realty and Development Corp. and Socor Construction Corp. are the top five contractors of infrastructure projects.

The top five market vendor tax payers are Corazon Sepra, Teresita Gonzaga, Lilia Pagador, Lydia Mendoza and Tristan Pepito. The top five fish vendor taxpayers are Kathreen Maranga, Ronaldo Patalinghug, Angelita Fernandez, Francisco de Gracia Jr. and Jellen Osalla.

The top five taxpayers in terms of social amelioration tax are Rhythm & Mix Ventures Inc., Bingo Dinero Corporation, Cebu Entertainment Gallery Inc., Hidden Lodge and Kazz International Ent. Corp/K-One Family KTV Bar. This is a new category.

In terms of collection of real property taxes in barangays, the top performers in the north district are Lahug, Mabolo, Luz, Talamban and Apas. In the south district, the top five are Guadalupe, Labangon, Basak San Nicolas, Tisa and Mambaling. – (FREEMAN)