Cebu City adopts new strategy to hit P50 billion budget

CEBU, Philippines —   The City Government of Cebu has implemented a new strategy to raise the P50 billion funding approved as budget allocation this year through SAYAW sa Buhis or the Strategic Assessment of Your Assets and Worth, program head Ofelia Oliva said.

Oliva said that before, during her time as City Treasurer, it was just more of dancing tax collectors at the City Treasurer’s Office.

Now, they are expanding it, bringing the tax collectors to the barangays.

The 80 barangays are clustered into six with the CTO’s satellite offices located in malls.

Cluster 1 which also serves as the command center is at the Ayala Central Bloc, cluster 2 at the City Mall, cluster 3 at SM Seaside City, cluster 4 at Gaisano Country Mall, cluster 5 CTO and Cluster 6 at Robinson’s Galleria. These satellite offices will be opened soon.

Each cluster, according to Oliva during the press conference after SAYAW’s launch at Plaza Sugbo yesterday, is giving a target collection though she did not specify the amount set.

While the city government is now bringing the CTO closer to the people for accessibility and convenience, the OIC Budget and Finance Officer, Atty. Jerone Castillo, also appealed for the Cebuanos to declare the right income or property and its use.

Current City Treasurer Ivy Reyes said they have also discovered some taxables that were thought as a tax exempt or had not been properly classified and taxed.

Before SAYAW’s launch, delinquents were also given notices already.

Based on their initial computation, around P25 billion estimated collectibles from delinquents, although some of it is still up for review and verification.

If everyone just pays the right amount of their tax dues, Castillo said, the city may get not only P50 billion but even P300 billion maximum and this is not yet counting on the tax revisions that the city government needs to do soon.

More to entertainment, SAYAW is a powerful tool that is expected to bring Cebu City to greater heights. — GMR (FREEMAN)