LA TRINIDAD, Benguet April 23 – The municipal government extended the deadline of payment without surcharges, interests and penalties of local taxes, fees, and charges enshrined under the town’s Revenue Code of 2017 or Ordinance No. 23-2017 falling during the implementation of the extended Luzonwide enhanced community quarantine.
Mayor Romeo K. Salda issued Executive Order No. 22, series of 2020 stated that the extension of the deadline without surcharges, penalties and interests shall apply to all local taxes, fees, and charges prescribed under the town’s Revenue code of 2017 and that the same will be good for 60 days.
However, he pointed out that unpaid local taxes, fees and charges and penalties which were due before the declaration of a state of calamity in the country will be computed based on the last day before the aforesaid declaration.
Salda explained that the decision to extend the deadline for the payment of local fees, taxes and charges without penalties, surcharges and interests is aligned with the national government’s call for unity and cooperation and part of the efforts of the local government to ease the burden of the ongoing quarantine to the residents during the state of public health emergency and quarantine.
Earlier, the municipal council headed by Vice Mayor Roderick Awingan passed Ordinance No. 02-2020 extending the deadline of payment without surcharges, interests and penalties of local taxes, fees and charges under the town’s Revenue Code falling due during the implementation of the extended Luzonwide enhanced community quarantine.
Section 129 of the Local government Code provided that each local government unit shall exercise its power to create its own sources of revenue to level taxes, fees, and charges subject to the pertinent provisions of the code consistent with the basic policy of local autonomy and such taxes, fees and charges shall accrue exclusively to the local government unit concerned.
Further, Section 4(z) of Republic Act (RA) 11469 or the Bayanihan To Heal As One Act of 2020 authorized the move of statutory deadlines and timelines for the filing and submission of any document, the payment of taxes, fees and other charges required by law.
Salda expressed optimism that the 60-day extension that will be granted for the payment of taxes, fees and charges will be sufficient to allow residents to settle their obligations with the local government to help in providing adequate sources of income that will be used to fund the implementation of the desired programs, projects and activities that will bring back the vibrance of the town’s economy that had been heavily impacted by the ongoing quarantine period.
La Trinidad is a first-class municipality serving as the capital town of Benguet where it is also the center of trade and commerce in the province as it is adjacent to Baguio City which serves as the country’s Summer Capital. The town is known to be the Strawberry Capital of the Philippines being the major of the famous strawberry that is well loved by foreign and domestic tourists that frequent the municipality year-round.
He revealed that that the proposed extension on the deadline of the payment of taxes, fees and charges will still be dependent on the lifting of the quarantine period that is expected to expire by the end of the month pursuant to previous orders from the President.
By HENT
