CARP beneficiaries fail to pay P1 B in land taxes

Before tackling a major issue in Negros Occidental, I wish to personally correct the “Be Honest” motto that I previously attributed to the Rotary Clubs of Negros.

Based on the rejoinder by Jerry Quibilan of Crusader for Peace, Prosperity, Unity and Love, that was part of the “Be Honest campaign” launched by the BCBP in Ormoc City on Oct. 25, 2003.

This was subsequently given a major boost by the motorcade in Manila. It was BCBP’s contribution to the government’s campaign for peaceful, clean, and honest elections.

Well, I congratulate the BCBP for its success in instilling that “honesty” slogan that it has become a permanent fixture among Rotary Clubs in Negros Occidental. That’s the reason why I inadvertently credited it to the Rotary.

My apologies.

P1-B unpaid land taxes

In the past, I had written about the complaints by various local government units about the failure of agrarian reform beneficiaries to pay their land taxes, causing tremendous problems to their providing social services to their respective communities.

But Negros Occidental Gov. Joseph Marañon yesterday came out with the report from provincial assessor Melita Gaelian that real tax collectibles from agrarian reform beneficiaries from 1988 to Sept. 21, 2007 have reached P1,131,023,213. Yet, eight cities still have to submit their reports.

The amount is due from the 104,914 hectares distributed to ARBs in Negros Occidental.

Earlier, Marañon said only 59 percent of the 61,375 ARBs in Negros Occidental are still tiling their lands. The other 41 percent, or 25,336, are no longer farming the lands turned over to them by the government through the DAR. They either had sold their rights to their properties or leased them to others.

The point stressed by Marañon is that the evaluation of the CARP due to expire next year, does not mean that it should not be continued but that the focus must be aligned to improve its implementation. In short, accent the support services for beneficiaries instead of further distributing productive lands.

The DAR, he said, can continue to cover properties volunteered for coverage by landowners but there should be a moratorium on covering productive lands.

The provincial office also issued a statement pointing out that the abandonment of land awarded to ARBs is a violation that will lead to perpetual disqualification.

Details presented

The detailed accounting of unpaid real property taxes from the 19 towns of Negros Occidental showed the following: Don Salvador Benedicto – P9,444,608; Binalbagan, P58,334,718; Calatrava – P45,276,344; Candoni, P21,992,658; Cauayan, P50,425,407.

The others: E.B. Magalona – P81,741,546; Hinigaran – P88,147,230; Hinobaan – P23,291,279; Ilog – P60,257,128; Isabela, P97,390,612; La Castellana – P49,577,475;

Manapla – P100,248,748; Moises Padilla – P88,784,698; Murcia – P65,816,870; Pontevedra – P96,187,980; Pulupandan – P2,965,327; San Enrique – P21,847,900; Toboso – P15,773,334; and Valladolid – P40,497,403.

Partial reports by four of the 13 cities of Negros Occidental showed the following figures: Bacolod City – P3,169,989; Bago City – P45,301,345; Kabankalan – P53,383,662; and San Carlos City – P11,167,673.

For several months, local government executives have been harping on their difficulties especially in shoring up their education fund to provide assistance to schools.

This was the reason why the Council of Municipal Mayors headed by Manapla Mayor Manuel Escalante raised a howl about the implementation of the government program, which has created major problems for local government units.

Perhaps, it’s about time that Congress tackles the problem of billions of uncollected land taxes that have compounded the problems of local government units as they try to scrounge around for funds badly needed for social services, including outreach projects for the agrarian reform beneficiaries themselves.

What Gov. Marañon has done was to unearth the facts on the ground and not depend solely on reports and opinions of so-called land reform experts.

In short, something has got to give to make CARP more workable and not just end up distributing more lands when these lands end up in the hands of others, including unscrupulous entrepreneurs who cede the payment of land taxes to the original ARBs who are in no position to pay the real property taxes due to local government units.

ADDENDUM:  I shall try to write more extensively about the ongoing debate in Iloilo City over the assertion by Mayor Jerry Treñas that coal-powered plants can do no harm even if these are situated in thickly populated areas. Treñas’ statement came after his weekend trip to Taiwan to check the coal-powered plant there by the firm Global Business Power Corp., which wants to put up a coal-powered plant in Iloilo City. That raised a howl from various non-government organizations.