LGU assessors' convention tackle digitalization

CEBU, Philippines — Members of the Association of Local Assessors of the Province of Cebu, Inc. (ALAPC) held their first convention yesterday, Nov.16, 2023, and focused on how they could embrace digitalization in their operations.

With a convention theme “Cebu Local Asssessors: Best Practices and New Developments”, ALAPC president Jose Jefferson Bajao stressed that importance of empowering the skills and competencies of the assessors towards digitalization so that more taxes will be collected for the respective LGUs.

Bajao said that although majority of the assessor’s offices in Cebu are now digitalized, still there is a need to upgrade their skills on the technical aspects especially that technology continues to evolve.

Bajao is hopeful that their next convention will tackle on the issue of digitalization as he recognized that some assessor’s offices in the province lacks manpower enough to cater its constituents.

  “The aim of this convention is to strengthen the role of our local assessors in nation building,” said Bajao.

 Bajao said that the role of the assessors in a local government unit is of outmost importance as without them, the treasurer of an LGU has nothing to collect, especially on the real property taxes.

Real property taxes are part of the income of the LGUs.

Judge Nelson Leyco, one of the guest speakers during the convention, spoke to the assessors on property and civil litigation emphasizing some legal issues that assessors may face in line of their work.

He discussed about jurisdiction in filing cases of real property disputes, modes of acquiring ownership, proper venue of actions, rules on conveyance of title, among others.

The event was attended by 60 assessors, including some assessors' personnel with former Toledo City Assessor Jeremias Barcenas speaking on Best Assessment Practices of City of Toledo and Atty. Wilbert Tañeca of the Bureau of Local Government Finance speaking on the updates on Local Appraisal and Assessment. (CEBU NEWS)