4 Pangasinan towns Spike Budget

By Mortz C. Ortigoza

Thanks to the burgeoning economy of the country, four Pangasinan towns have padded their growing share in the national taxes as reflected on their proposed budget for next year.

The swanky P60 million municipal hall of Calasiao, Pangasinan

According to these town officials Bayambang, Mangaldan, Sta. Barbara, and Calasiao will have P186 million, P165 million, P155 million, and P165 million, respectively proposed appropriation in fiscal year 2014.

Bayambang

According to Bayambang Mayor Ricardo Camacho the Internal Revenue Allotment (IRA) from the national government for his town reached P150 million this year while its local revenue collection will reach to roughly P36 million in the same year.

“Kaya nag proposed tayo ng P186 million,” he quipped.

Camacho explained that the factors why this town's got a gargantuan allocation from the IRA has been because of its huge area and its robust population.

The budget of this town this year is P165 million.

“That IRA has been good as it funds a lot of improvements in our town,” he said in the vernacular.

The P165 million budgets will be used by the Camacho Administration to fund his different ambitious projects and programs next year.

“Marami kaming gagawin doon sa Annual Investment Plan like livelihood and celebration of 400 years (as a revolutionary capital of President Emilio Aguinaldo during the Filipino-American War). Siempre kailangan natin ang malaking pondo iyong highlights ng celebration natin sa Malangsi Festival”.

Mammoth Mall Robinson in Calasiao, Pangasinan

Calasiao

Calasiao Vice Mayor Roy Macanlalay said his town proposed appropriation next year was conservatively estimated at P165 million because in the last part of the fiscal year his town Mayor Mark Roy Macanlalay, his son, is expected to request his office for a supplemental budget that runs up to P20 million.

If Bayambang, a bigger town than Calasiao, can collect only P36 million local taxes, this town collects an estimated P50 million this year from local revenues.

Economic spectators point to the growing urbanization of this puto (rice cake) making town where it now hosted giant retail store Robinson, car sale and service centers Honda, Toyota, and Nissan as catalysts for its robust local taxes

This year Calasiao has P132 million budgets that could reached up to P150 million after the supplemental budget, if there has anything, has been added.

Mangaldan

According to Julieta C Petonio, Mangaldan Municipal Planning & Development Coordinator, the town next year will have a P165, 088,776 budgets.

She expounded that the proposed funds for  next year’s budget that has been submitted to the Sangguniang Bayan (town council) will come from the projected sources like the P4,000,000.00 real property tax; P22,500.000 business taxes and licenses; P300,000.00 occupation tax; P1,350,000.00 community tax, to name a few .

This renowned tapa (dried meat) selling town has P127, 878,776.00 shares from the IRA.

According to the Local Government Code, the allocation formula of every LGU from the national taxes is Population (50%), Land Area (25%), and Equal Sharing (25%)

In years 2012 and 2113 Mangaldan has a budget of P131.6 million and P149 million.

Sta. Barbara

According to Mayor Carlito Zaplan, Sta Barbara has a proposed budget next year of P155 million.

This year this brick making town operates in an almost P140 million appropriation.

Unlike Bayambang and Mangaldan whose IRA spike has been determined by its burgeoning population, and sheer size, this town has a money churning - business juggernauts Ginebra San Miguel and RC Cola Breweries.

Zaplan said Ginebra and RC Cola pay P21 million and P8 million, respectively, business taxes a year in his town.