OBO asked to submit weekly report on undertaking vs illegal billboards

SINCE there were no permits granted to more than one hundred advertisement structures, the city was not able to collect appropriate taxes for over 20 years.

This was pointed out by Councilor Romeo V. Calizo during the second round of discussion of the City Council committee of the whole relative to the special report of Councilor John Michael L. Seno on the alleged illegal billboards in the city.

The assumption was based on the inventory submitted by the Office of the City Building Official (OBO) during the first meeting of the committee. Only seven advertisers were granted permits by the city while over a hundred were illegally constructed, the office reported.

“Tungod kay pito ra ang naay permit, more than 100 were not given permits, so there were no collected installation fees. According to our 1998 ordinance, naa man diri ang mga square feet, naa man diay diri ang payment for every area. So wala gyud tay makolek nga taxes sa more than 100 nga walay permits. Since there are no permits, there is also no renewal tax, again. Imagine for so many years these advertisement structures existed without being collected of appropriate taxes. Ang gakolektahon lang

diay sa atong treasurer kana lang advertisement fees mao tong niabot lang og P4 million. Sayang kaayo,” Calizo cited.

With this, the OBO was tasked to provide the committee with a list of all the structures categorized with permits and without permits. It shall also submit a weekly report on the status of its undertaking.

“Para mahibalo ang committee of the whole nga mao gyud ni ang kahimtang, kining mga billboards nga naa diha. Let us identify so that you will know what to do on those already given permits and those without permits. Unsa bay angay buhaton niini? You are given a marching order already by the City Mayor,” stressed the councilor.

Meanwhile, upon noting that the 2014 version of the city ordinance is just similar to the 1998 version, and to be at par with the collection efforts of other cities, the Office of the City Treasurer was tasked to provide adjustments on tax collection specifically on the appropriate figures for presentation and recommendation to the plenary.

The city ordinance will then be subject to amendment once the two departments have complied with their respective tasks, Calizo pointed out.