TARLAC City -- Unmindful of the negative impact in his political career, Mayor Ace Manalang is determined to use all kinds of resources to be able to provide better services to his constituents.

Recently, some taxpayers complained against the alleged increase in their real property taxes of 100 to 400 percent this year.

“I have a heavy heart when executing such measure, ayo-ko sanang mabigatan ang ating mga kababayan kaya lang mas masakit naman kung hindi natin maibibigay ang karampatang serbisyo para sa kanila lalo na ang mga mahihirap na umaasa sa mga basikong serbisyo ng pamahalaang lungsod,” Manalang said.

According to city administrator Louie Juico, the increase is based on the implementation of an ordinance which was approved in 2004 during the past administration.

The then Sangguniang Panglunsod headed by Vice Mayor Teresita Cabal approved the schedule of a new fair market value which would be the bases of a new computation of real property tax.

“The mayor has just acted as a chief executive not a politician when implementing such ordinance,” Juico said.

He said with the new ruling of the Supreme Court which approved the additional 16 new chartered cities in the country, at least P70 million have been sliced from the city government Internal Revenue Allotment (IRA), resulting in the city treasury’s cash deficiency.

“With the adjustment, the treasury is expecting to collect at least P58 million this year,” Juico said.

“And mga pagbabagong isinasagawa natin ay medyo masakit sa simula subalit ’pag nakita na natin na ang kapalit nito ay kaunlaran ng siyudad, hindi sila manghihinayang sa mga buwis na kanilang binabayaran sa gob-yerno dahil ito ay nagagamit sa tamang paraan,” Manalang said.