MEMBERS of the Benguet Provincial Board, through a resolution, has mandated the Provincial Assessors' Office to immediately asses real property taxes of the Northern Cement Corporation (NCC) whose operation are falling within the territorial jurisdiction of the municipality of Tuba.
"It’s high time the province of Benguet collect its share from NCC as regards the area of its operation within the territorial boundaries of the province," stated in the resolution.
Claiming no boundary dispute for now between Sison (Pangasinan) and Tuba (Benguet), Mayor Ignacio Rivera said there is still a strong opposition of the municipality of Sison despite the present Cadastral Survey of Tuba with a certification issued by Department of Environment and Natural Resources-Cordillera region stating portion of the NCC operation is within the political boundary of the municipality.
NCC has only been paying taxes to Pangasinan, notwithstanding encroachment of its operation within the territorial boundaries of Benguet.
Both towns are eyeing for amicable settlement but up to now there is none.
Chair on committee on laws, rules and regulations Councilor Joshelle Ruth Bancilo said Tuba completed their survey in 2008 which was approved earlier and was not opposed by Sison.
"What we are doing now is requesting the nullification of that portion because they did not go to the process of questioning our existing map. From the legal side, what they should have done is that they should have questioned the plan instead of having another plan and surveying their own map," said Bancilo. "Lumakas iyong issue na iyan last May, may mga certain personnel nagtitile na ng lot within Tuba and they are basing on the map of Pangasinan. Lumalabas sa map ng Pangasinan alienable and disposable."
The municipality of Tuba currently has 44,000 hectare land area and only 29,000 hectares is collected and computed by the national government with an actual Internal Revenue Allotment of P145 million per annum.
With the overlapping claims, the 15,000 remaining land hectare costs million for the municipality.
"We are hoping na ma-increase, kung hindi man po makuha iyong 44,000 at least 40,000. We are still working on what we have and we are hoping ma-increase for we can do more," Bancilo added.
