Tacloban honors top taxpayers

TACLOBAN CITY, Dec. 21 (PNA) – The city government here awarded the top taxpayers in times for this year’s 7th anniversary of the city being the first and only highly-urbanized city in Eastern Visayas.

Leading the event was Mayor Alfred S. Romualdez along with his wife and city Councilor Cristina, department heads and city workers.

Following a thanksgiving mass on Saturday, the city government awarded top 10 outstanding business taxpayers from corporate, individual and real property taxpayers.

Also recognized by the city government were its retirees.

Leading the 2015 Outstanding Real Property tax payers of Tacloban are: Robinson’s Land Corp.; SM Prime Holdings, Inc. and HEVA Management Corp. for Commercial Land and Building corporations; Coca-Cola Bottler’s Phil., Inc. and Philippine National Oil Company for the Industrial Land and Building Corporation; Samuel Chu Ngo and Elsa Uy for the Individual Commercial Land & Building; Edwin Pfleider and Rommel Dy Chua et al. for the Individual Residential Land and Building and Ben Sin Ong for the Individual Agricultural Land.

Top 10 businesses of the city include Leyeco II Electric Cooperative Inc.; Fairlane Automotive Ventures Inc.; Hotel Alejandro Inc.; San Miguel Brewery Inc. and City Savings Bank, Inc.; Ocho Seafoods and Grills; Badminton Republic; Joebz Computer Sales and Services-Main; Dynasty Square Realty and Development and Renato Ramirez Meat Vendor.

“These companies, corporations and services of retirees were of great help to build back better the economy of our place,” said mayor Romualdez in a statement.

Two years after the typhoon Yolanda leveled the city, residents and observers claimed that the city “has slowly grown its economy with the aid and contribution of investors and business establishments.”

Accordingly, Tacloban, the 34th highly-urbanized city in the country competes with the likes of Makati City, Cebu City, Davao City and other HUC after it was converted into HUC through a plebiscite in 2008.

Known as the gateway to Eastern Visayas, Tacloban’s recovery after Yolanda was also boosted through the help of various humanitarian organizations and other government agencies.

Tacloban was converted into an HUC through Proclamation No. 1637 signed on Oct. 4, 2008 by then President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. (PNA)
FFC/SQM/Ronald O. Reyes and Lizbeth Ann Abella/egr