THE Bureau of Internal Revenue District No. 65, in Naga City conducted a public hearing on its proposed revision of the zonal values of real properties in the city at the UNC Seminar Hall last July 17, 2008. The recommendation of the district is to impose a low of 100 percent hike on the current zonal valuation.

        This recommendation of the BIR District in Naga City is a slap on Mayor Jesse M. Robredo and his subservient Sanggunian who intend to hike the real property valuation from a low of 200% to a high of 1000% if only to raise funds for his projects.

        If Mayor Robredo remains true to his form in the August 6, 1993 referendum when he did not push through the floating of bonds --- though this proposed ordinance was overwhelmingly endorsed by the voters of Naga City in the much bruited about local referendum, the first of its kind in the country ---- since this was not approved by the Bangko Sentral, then with more reason that he should not insist in introducing “tax reforms” from a low of 200% to a high of 1,000% on the market valuation of real properties in Naga City. Evidently the Robredo tax reforms are exceedingly excessive compared to the BIR’s low of 100 percent.

        Mayor Robredo should also take back his word that “the on-going land valuation reforms will definitely move forward.”

        The “Local Development Investment Plan 2007-2010” of the Robredo administration that “needs P640 and P869 million outside the city’s annual budget to realize new projects ---- P200 million for revitalizing the Naga River, between P85 to P170 million to close the existing Balatas dumpsite and open a new sanitary landfill and about P60 million to put up a new bridge connecting Elias Angeles street to barangay Lerma ----- with an aggregate sum of P439 million ---- are not very necessary projects so that the city should undertake land valuation reforms. By the way, where will the remaining P439 million go?

        With more than just a year before the national and local elections in 2010, multimillion projects such as these three should make the electorate think ten times before endorsing them. Behind any great wealth is a great crime.

        Even the initial recommendation of District No.65 of BIR Naga for a low of 100 percent increase in zonal valuation should be repudiated. This recommendation unfortunately comes at the moment when the “times are out of joint”.

        Taxes are everywhere and they come with more furious rage every three years at the instigation of the occupant in Malacanang.

        Even before the birth of any infant in Naga City, taxes are already imposed on the child. In fact, every baby born in Naga City owes the city government some P20,000 pesos to pay for the loans the Naga City government has contracted for the past 20 years. In securing a copy of his birth certificate, the baby has to pay a fee for the printing of his certificate on special paper because no other kind of paper is acceptable in any office of the government.

        As soon as the child enters school, the child has to pay taxes, courtesy of the EVAT imposed on school supplies, on the food the child takes, on the electricity he uses in studying at night, on fares in commuting from school to home. More so when the child turns into an adult, taxes come not in single spies but in battalions: the community tax certificate, annual income tax, the road user’s tax, real property tax, business tax, mayor’s permit, EVAT on gasoline he uses for commuting to office, school and home, on the groceries and supplies he purchases for the daily sustenance of his family.

        Even on his retirement years, taxes hound him. In the simple luxury of eating at Jollibee or MacDonald or Max’s, the EVAT is bigger than the P20-P30 he

        gets as a senior citizen, not the 20% as provided for by Republic Act No. 9257.

        Even in death, the dead has to pay taxes for the burial permit.

        But the current price increases on basic necessities and commodities ---- rice, shelter, health services, education, electricity, basic wage --- get the goat of us all, have virtually diminished the value of the peso and reduced the take-home pay of the head of the family. Imposing a 100 per cent increase on land or zonal valuation, much less “definitely” pushing the new projects of the city to be financed by real property tax reforms, are “definitely” not the call of the moment. They deserve to be flushed down the drain.