Talisay dad seeks levy on idle lands

The Talisay City government is now pushing for an additional tax measure on all idle lots that are made dumping sites for garbage in the area.

In the council session last Thursday, councilor Shirley Belleza asked city assessor Alma Abellanosa to conduct an inventory of all idle lands and to study the possibility of imposing additional taxes.

"These idle lands turned dump site are unsanitary and unsightly," Belleza said, adding that she observed that in the enforcement of City Ordinance No. 2002-10 otherwise known as the Sanitation Code of 2002, idle lots are being turned into dumping site for the garbage.

Belleza, who authored the Sanitation Code, states that the mandate of the council is to require that lands within the city be kept clean and maintain a sanitary condition and impose penalties for violations.

An updated record of idle lands shall facilitate collection should the city impose additional tax or levy on the idle lands, Belleza said.

Talisay City Mayor Socrates Fernandez said the operation of the dumpsites is banned under Republic Act 9003 or the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000.