TACLOBAN CITY – Tanauan Mayor Gina Merilo is thankful to businessmen operating in her municipality for their contributions to the local economy which provides jobs to residents and income to the local government.
Mayor Merilo said that their town is recovering from the negative impacts of the pandemic caused by the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) saying they are seeing an increase in their local revenue.
Merilo said that from the P25.28 million local income covering July 2021 to June 2022, it increased to P32.77 million from July 2022 to June 2023, or an increase of 30 percent.
“I would like to express my profound gratitude to our taxpayers who diligently pay and I would like to encourage others to pay their taxes on time so as to make us continue to deliver the required municipal services,” the town mayor said.
To ease the process of business permit application and in paying of taxes, the local government is implementing the digitalization of business permit and licensing system which is now at 70 percent.
The town recently received three computer units from the Department of Information and Communication Technology for the purpose of digitalization of its transactions.
“With digitalization, application for a business permit can be done even at home and payment of fees may be done online thru GCash and Palawanpay,” Merilo said.
The town mayor added that at least 350 small and big businesses started operating in the municipality during her first year of office, helping the LGU to generate more income and provide job opportunities not only to Tanauan residents but even to jobseekers from other towns.
Tanauan Public Employment Information System Office Manager Michael Muzones confirms this saying that they are encouraging investors who are opening their businesses in the municipality to prioritize the locals when hiring employees.
Muzones said that his office has coordinated with the management of big businesses that opens a branch in Tanauan to hire local workers.
Last year, about 300 town residents were hired by the investors.
(ROEL T. AMAZONA)
