THE Quezon City Council’s proposed ordinances to increase the city’s real-property taxes has won the approval of Mayor Herbert Bautista.
Ares Gutierrez, the city’s Public Affairs and Information Services Office head, confirmed Bautista’s nod to implement the revision of the fair market values of land, and basic unit construction costs for buildings and other structures pursuant to the Local Government Code.
“[The mayor] told me he had already signed the tax hike, when I asked him about it sometime in December,” he told Manila Standard.
On Dec. 13, the City Council passed on third and final reading Ordinance No. 20CC-141, Ordinance No. 20CC-175 and Ordinance No. 20CC-176, the latter two granting real-property tax discounts to senior citizens and solo parents, respectively.
District 3 Councilor Allan Benedict Reyes, in a previous interview, said he hoped Bautista would not veto the measures.
Reyes said after the mayor’s approval, the three measures would be published in major newspapers for at least three consecutive weeks in January before they are implemented.
City officials also belied speculations of a 500-percent tax increase with the passage of Ordinance No. 20CC-141.
Rodolfo Ordanez, City Assessor’s Office head, said the QC government will just tax the assessed value of properties at five percent only.
As far as the Quezon City chapter of the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry Inc. is concerned, the increase in the real-estate tax and construction cost of a unit is a welcome development.
Dr. Carl Balita, PCCCI-QC chairman, said the hike was “long overdue.”
“The short-term effect is we will really feel the increase, but just think of the long-term impact (that will be) translated into more public services and higher valuation of our properties,” Balita told Manila Standard.
He allayed fears the increase in Quezon City’s fair market values would cause a rise in rental fees of commercial establishments and the prices of commodities.
“The price is driven by demand and supply,” Balita said.