Now in his second year in office, San Pedro City, Laguna Mayor Art Joseph Francis Mercado can now afford to give back more to San Pedrenses, thanks to improved tax collections which meant more income for the city’s treasury.
Statistics provided by the city government showed an increase of P7.8 billion in taxable assessments, while total tax collection was at P1.01 billion, and a 13 percent increase in the collection of local revenue sources from two consecutive years with a total operating income of P1.3 billion.
This led to a P2.3 billion increase in estimated income for the fiscal year 2024.
The city attributed this increase to five key factors: confidence of the business sector in city government, opening of many micro-businesses, an aggressive tax collection effort, anti-corruption practices, and proper budget management.
“Mas naging aggresive yung collection, mayroong confidence yung tao, at the same time hindi nabubulsa yung kinokolekta sa tao,” San Pedro City Public Affairs and Information Office (PAIO) head Jhe-Rico Sam Colina shared.
To make a case for this, the city government listed some achievements made possible by taxpayers' money put to good use.
“If we’re going to define yung sense of accomplishment na meron tayo, ano yung wala before at ano yung naibigay namin ngayon?” said Colina.
Education, healthcare
Thanks to increased revenues, the city government is now able to push through its programs of free school uniforms and school supplies, as well as increased financial assistance to students.
To date, the city government has distributed 104,049 school uniforms for public school students, 79,084 school bags and supplies for both public and private students.
Meanwhile, 2,547 students are now covered under San Pedro City Scholarship Program (SPECS), while the city government is now pushing through the realization of the Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng San Pedro.
“Sa San Pedro, papasok na lang ang bata,” one beneficiary said.
In terms of healthcare, the city government takes pride in its “Botika Ni San Pedro” Program where a total of P25-million worth of prescribed medicines were distributed to 24,341 beneficiaries.
“There’s a challenge in the healthcare pero Rome was not built in one day,” Colina remarked.
And while the government is working on these challenges like the construction of the San Pedro Medical Center with phase one almost done.
But while San Pedrenses wait, the government offers what it can like free medicine and financial assistance which is not exclusive to the indigent unlike most healthcare systems
“Ang serbisyo ng pamahalaan di lang siya para sa mahirap, pag kailangan mo meron kang mapupuntahan,” said Colina.
Also undergoing registration is the San Pedro Green Card which will digitalize the payout of financial assistance and information system of the city.
A total of P88 million had been given to 38,851 beneficiaries for medical, burial, education, and “Balik Probinsya” programs.
More services
But the city is not just all about education and health, but public service in general.
Last December, 226,000 households received Pamaskong Handog for a merrier Christmas, road works and flood mitigation projects are underway like the dredging project with San Miguel Corporation in Laguna Lake and fixing of road and drainage systems throughout the city.
More than 10,000 inquiries and complaints have been solved by the Ugnayan Sa San Pedro (USAP), a San Pedro Sports Complex is in the works, as well as an improved city plaza.
“I believe na during our two years dito ay tumaas yung collection, revenue ng San Pedro, that’s why mas maraming nagagawang programa ngayon, kita naman yung difference sa social services natin,” Mercado said.
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