Tax break for Aklan farmers urged

BY BOY RYAN B. ZABAL

Citing the devastation of Typhoon Yolanda in the province of Aklan, local legislators here appealed for tax exemption or a minimal increase on real property taxes for agricultural farmers. 

Sangguniang Panlalawigan member Emmanuel Soviet Russia Dela Cruz, who chairs the Committee on Agriculture, is lobbying for the exemption of all agricultural lands or an increase only of 10 percent from the schedule of fair market values of real properties in the proposed general revision year 2015.

Dela Cruz, along with two committee members – Ramon Gelito and Nelson Sta. Maria, claimed that “the proposed real tax property increase of 30 percent would impact the profits of local farmers.”

Data available from the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council, the super typhoon Yolanda affected 17,344 hectares of rice lands and 46,000 hectares of land planted with coconuts in Aklan. 

There were 1,084,272 coconut trees totally damaged, of which four towns of Libacao, Batan, Altavas and Balete were also severely affected by Typhoon Yolanda last year, a damage assessment report from Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA) showed.  

In his privilege speech, Dela Cruz cited also “the worsening climate change, ASEAN economic integration and the high interest rates charged by some lending institutions and unscrupulous individuals could make life much difficult for the farmers.”

“Our hearts are bleeding for our farmers, the people who feed the nation; we hope you feel the same way too. A heavy tax burden will only result to low tax collection and may lead to land confiscation by the government.  ” he added. 

If approved by Aklan provincial board, the schedule being proposed by the Aklan Provincial Assessor’s Office will be the basis of the general revision of assessments and property classification within the province of Aklan by next year. 

Under the law, local government units should conduct a general revision of assessments and property classification every three years in order to reflect true market values of properties.

To date, the province of Aklan has yet to revise the schedule of market values with base year 2005.