The Vice Mayors League of the Philippines-Negros Oriental chapter recently said the implementation of the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program is one of the reasons for the low tax collection efficiency among local government units.

Provincial treasurer Danilo Mendez had recently encouraged all municipal treasurers to improve tax collection efforts, especially on real property. 

Bais City Vice  Mayor Luciano Benlota said  several productive  lands  have become  idle  and  delinquent  in paying  real  property  taxes  after  the  Department of Agrarian Reform distributed them to farmer beneficiaries. 

He  added that the CARP program has  good  intentions  of providing land  to  the landless  but  it also has  plenty  of  loopholes.

Belonta  said  there  were  haciendas  in  Bais  formerly  paying  good  amount of  taxes,  but  stopped when these were placed under CARP coverage.

Vice Mayor Valente  Yap  said  that, in  Bindoy town,  the  farmer beneficiaries  were confused  on  how, and  who  would   pay  the  tax  obligation,  since  the  land  title  was  awarded  to  the  name of  an association of beneficiaries.

Yap  and  Benlota  suggested  that  if  there  is land distribution there should  also  be  enough  support  services  to help  farmers earn  a  living  and  become  responsible for their  tax  obligations.

Mendez  said  his  office  recognizes  how the  problem  on CARP affects the  collection of  real  property  tax  efficiency.  He  said  DAR  has  no  sufficient  support  services  for the  farmer  beneficiaries  so  that  they  can  continue  developing  the  land.

He  said  he is  directing municipal  treasurers  to issue foreclosure  orders  on properties not  paying  real  tax  obligations. So far, only  the  towns  of  Amlan, Vallehermoso  and  Tayasan  have  started   implementing  the  directive, he said.*MA

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