Provincial Treasury hosts training on LRC

Provincial Treasury hosts training on LRC

The Supreme Court has, time and again, enunciated in a number of decisions that “Taxes are the lifeblood of government and should be collected without necessary hindrance”.

This underscores the critical role of local finance offices, especially the treasurers that are mandated under the Local Government Code (LGC) to collect taxes, and other revenues, such as those coming from the economic enterprises and regulatory operations of their respective local governments.

On November 09-10, 2022, the Provincial Government of Nueva Vizcaya (PGNV) headed by Governor Carlos M. Padilla, through its Provincial Treasury, hosted the Seminar-cum-Workshop on the Updating of Local Revenue Codes and Rationalization of Fees and Charges held at the Ammungan Hall, Provincial Capitol.

Participating in this empowering activity were members of the Municipal Treasurers Association of the Philippines, Inc. – Nueva Vizcaya Chapter (MUNTAP-NV). Also joining them were other local finance and planning officers and councilors from the fifteen component municipalities of the province, along with some key personnel of the PGNV led by Provincial Treasurer Rhoda S. Moreno.

In general, MUNTAP-NV President Crisanto B. Vaquilar said, “This Seminar-cum-Workshop that we have collaboratively organized and coordinated was designed to provide the participants with a more strategic, holistic, and systematic view of the revenue and resource mobilization functions, and serves as well to guide them on how to review and update the existing revenue codes of their respective local governments, with the end in view of building a stronger enabling environment for good local governance that will better serve the constituents”.

The topics covered by the resource persons and facilitators headed by Atty. Julaida C. Pancho, Provincial Treasurer, Apayao, CAR, were as follows:
*Legal Bases for the Collection of Taxes, Fees and Charges, and Legal Issues Affecting Treasury Operations;
*Fundamental Principles of Local Taxation;
*Taxing Powers of Local Governments and Common Limitations Thereof;
*Distribution of Proceeds;
*Procedures in Enhancing Local Revenue Codes;
*Walkthrough of a Model Local Revenue Code and Review of Existing Local Revenue Codes;
*Rationalization of Fees and Charges; and
*LFC Toolkit.

Part of the learning activities were a Q&A session and some practical exercises to provide the participants with a thorough understanding of the knowledge intended to be imparted and to clarify some gray areas that they usually encounter in their office operations.

PT Pancho stressed that the involvement of the Provincial Treasury in this activity is actually part of its mandate, i.e., “to exercise technical supervision over all treasury offices of component municipalities”, as provided for under Section 470 of the Local Government Code (LGC).

In her message, PT Moreno connected the activity to the authority of Local Government Units (LGUs) to adjust rates of tax ordinances as provided for under Section 191 of the LGC. “The same provision, however, limits the amount of each adjustment and the frequency by which such authority may be exercised, i.e., LGUs can only adjust tax rates once every five (5) years, and the amount of adjustment should not exceed ten percent (10%) of the rates fixed under the LGC”, she explained.

She also emphasized that there is really a need to update the revenue codes of the LGUs, many of which are even more than a decade old.

“Given the significant reduction in the National Tax Allotment (NTA) of LGUs, and the effects of the devolution of certain national government functions, global COVID-19 pandemic, and declining value of the Philippine Peso, among others, it has indeed become more imperative for us to address the fiscal challenges that we are facing with utmost urgency”, she rationalized.

Here is a complete list of the MUNTAP-NV officers: President – MT Crisanto B. Vaquilar, Villaverde; Vice President – MT John Benedict N. Castro, Kayapa; Secretary – MT Maria Ceselma B. Parong, Bayombong; Treasurer – MT Marites G. Lamug, Quezon; Auditor – MT Emily B. Varona, Bambang; PIO – MT Janette T. Santiago, Bagabag; Bus. Managers – MT Eldie I. Conde, Dupax Del Sur, and MT Melvin V. Estrada, Dupax Del Norte; BOD Members – MT Mary Gay F. Dela Cruz, Diadi, and MT Jesusa V. Calica, Aritao; and Adviser – PT Rhoda S. Moreno, Nueva Vizcaya.

More PHOTOS here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/Beloved.Nueva.Vizcaya/permalink/5736976939682536/