Pampanga installs computer tracking system

CITY OF SAN FERNANDO, Pampanga — Gov. Mark Lapid said yesterday he is expecting to raise no less than P100 million in real estate taxes this year, after he signed an agreement with a firm for a P50-million computer system project capable of monitoring "people, places and events" and provide visual analysis "for better governance."

Lapid, in behalf of the provincial government, signed the agreement with Geodata Solutions Inc. which will establish a geographic information system (GIS) in this province, the first of its kind in Pampanga.

"It is an intelligent mapping system which can locate places, people and events and give visual analysis of things for better governance. It is expected to enhance management, planning and monitoring capabilities of the province," Lapid said in a briefing after the signing of the project.

He said all records of the provincial government and municipalities and cities in Pampanga will be integrated in the system through a local area network.

"We have so many documents being lost so the system will ensure all records are intact and integrated for easy access," he added.

Lapid said that the project is funded from a P50 million guarantee loan from the Philippine National Bank (PNB) under a build-operate-transfer scheme.

Minerva Arceo, information officer of the provincial government, said various provincial offices can also benefit from the system for various purposes such as project monitoring, socio-economic physical profiling, hospital management for the 10 government hospitals in the province, supplies and general services, concerns, legislative management, and human resource management, among other concerns.

"There is no doubt that through the GIS system, managing economic activities and zoning ordinances can be upgraded," she said.

She said it "will also maximize capability of the province in collecting real property taxes. Geodata, the project proponent, will install property assessment and tax administration system and automate real property transactions like record maintenance, fee assessments, and payment facilities."

Lapid added that the automation of major and vital operations at the capitol could provide him with visual graphics and other things which will aid him in coming up with "more accurate and faster decisions".