ILOILO CITY — Iloilo province has again made the top 10 wealthiest provinces in the country based on the 2017 annual report of the Commission on Audit (COA) posted on its official website Monday.
With assets amounting to PHP10 billion, Iloilo made it to the ninth place, from last year’s seventh rank with an asset of PHP8.14 billion.
In an interview Tuesday, Jean Maire Umadjay, acting provincial treasurer, said the higher tax collection contributed a lot to fuel the province’s assets, as well as good management of finances.
She mentioned that they ensure that their campaign for the collection of real property taxes reached every village in the province.
“We have massive collection from all our real properties and as much as possible, we could really collect them through sending them notice of delinquencies,” she said.
She also recognized the effort of all the city and municipal treasurers in the 42 towns and one component city in the province to ensure that the taxpayers become responsible when it comes to their bills.
Umadjay said they have been recognizing the outstanding towns in terms of tax collection every year, which really encouraged municipal treasurers to work harder.
“They are continuously improving their performances,” she said.
She named Oton, Pavia, Cabatuan and Sta. Barbara as some of the towns with outstanding tax collection.
Based on the COA report, Cebu remained the wealthiest province in the country with assets amounting to PHP34.14 billion.
It was followed by Compostela Valley with PHP18.95 billion; Batangas, PHP15.568 billion; Rizal, PHP14 billion; Negros Occidental, PHP12.89 billion; Zambales, PHP10.46 billion; Bulacan, PHP10.45 billion; Palawan, PHP10.16 billion; and occupying the 10th place is Pampanga with PHP9.53 billion. (Cindy Ferrer/PNA)
