Satellite offices for tax collection open in malls

CEBU, Philippines — Five days after ‘Strategic Assessment of Your Assets and Worth (SAYAW) para sa Buhis program was launched, some of the City Treasurer’s satellite offices are now open making payments of taxes more convenient to taxpayers.

Besides the City Treasurer’s Office, two satellite offices located at SM Seaside and Robinsons Galleria are now accepting tax payments. The city government has divided the 80 barangays into six clusters to maximize the collection of taxes.

Taxpayers from barangays belonging to cluster 1 can pay at Ayala Central Bloc; cluster 2 at City Mall; cluster 3 at SM Seaside; cluster 4 at Gaisano Country Mall; cluster 5 is at the City Treasurer’s Office in City Hall; and cluster 6 is at Robinsons Galleria.

SAYAW para sa Buhis head Ofelia Oliva, however, said that the malls assigned for clusters 1, 2, and 4 are still undergoing renovation but taxpayers from these clusters can still go to city hall and will be accommodated while their satellite offices are still under renovation.

As of the moment, Oliva said they are sending demand letters to delinquent real property owners.

According to Oliva, there were already 56, 925 demand letters sent out in the north district while 35,896 letters in the south district. The former city treasurer warned delinquent taxpayers to take the notices from the treasurer’s office seriously because failing to settle their tax dues could lead to foreclosure of their properties.

Oliva said that new strategies for SAYAW para sa Buhis will also be out soon. SAYAW para sa Buhis is a “special task force” in the city that was formed “to optimize tax collection” through “friendly persuasion”.

Meanwhile, the city treasurer’s office reminds real property owners of the June 30 deadline to pay their taxes for the second quarter of 2023.

City treasurer Mare Vae “Ivy” Reyes said that those who will be able to pay on or before the deadline will get a 10% discount. The discount, however, will only apply for those without delinquencies.

Tax delinquents are also advised to settle their dues as soon as possible.

“We are also reminding those who are delinquent in the payment of their real property taxes to settle their delinquencies immediately, otherwise the city government of Cebu will be constrained to issue a warrant of levy on your delinquent properties pursuant to the provisions of section 258 of Republic Act no. 7160," Reyes said. —  Kristin de Dios (FREEMAN)