Braganza to reduce RPT rates if elected governor

Alaminos City Mayor Hernani Braganza(center) gestures as he answers questions during the regular forum of the Kapisanan ng mga Brodkaster ng Pilipinas(KBP) Pangasinan chapter at the Philippine Information Agency(PIA) office in Dagupan City last October 25. With Braganza in photo are former Pangasinan Vice Gov. Oscar Lambino(left) who is currently the Liberal Party(LP) spokesman in Pangasinan; and Bernie Errasquin, president of KBP Pangasinan chapter and station manager of DZMQ Radyo ng Bayan.CESAR RAMIREZ

By Mortz C. Ortigoza

DAGUPAN CITY – Alaminos City Mayor Hernani Braganza said if he wins as governor next year, he will call for a reduction of 300 percent burdensome real property taxes (RPT) imposed by the provincial government in Pangasinan.
“Can you imagine? A poor farmer used to pay 500 pesos a year as RPT, but because of the new RPT he is obliged to pay 1,500 pesos,” he said.
Braganza explained that from a rain-fed one hectare rice land, a farmer earns only P20, 000 a year, but because of the new RPT, the poor farmer is deprived of his hard- earned measly income.
Braganza crowed that during his eight years as mayor, he did not raise by a single cent the RPT in Alaminos City, but still the city “earns from a significant and growing collection of taxes”.
He said he used an ortho-photo technology to determine who pays and who does not pay taxes.
In year 2006, Braganza entered into two landmark contracts with F.F. Cruz & Co., Inc. and Palafox & Associates for the development of his city’s comprehensive land use plan and the generation of an ortho-photo maps and the conduct of geographic information system (GIS) training and Generalized System of Preferences ( GSP) ground control establishment.
Braganza assailed the members of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan (provincial board), who passed the onerous 300 percent tax.
He called on the people not to vote for them in the 2013 election.
He accused too, the Espino administration of intending to use the new tax collection to pay the P1.3 billion debt it owed from the government bank.
He said any increase in the RPT should be used to improve the welfare of Pangasinenses.
Moreover, Braganza declared at the public forum hosted by the Kilusan ng Broadkaster sa Pilipinas that he and the Liberal Party will file anytime from now a petition in court for a temporary restraining order against the Espino administration because of the imposition of an excessive RPT.
He explained that the provincial ordinance was approved with out public consultations.