MCIAA told: Have a heart, pay your taxes

Students sending letters convincing Mactan Cebu International Airport Authority (MCIAA) to settle its P1.7 billion tax due is Lapu-Lapu City Mayor Paz Radaza’s weapon.

Radaza made this call anew during her inaugural speech at the Lapu-Lapu City hall a few days after the Commission on Audit (COA) asked the local government to collect from MCIAA taxes.

“We already won the legal battle in the Court of Appeals. Aside from the city’s continued efforts to collect, the students’ personal letters might soften the hearts of the MCIAA board of directors to settle their obligation instead of pursuing the fight in the Supreme Court,” Radaza said.

She once again stressed that the collectible could help build additional classrooms to minimize the shortage in the city’s public schools.

She said she wants to reduce classroom shortage by 50 percent in the next three years through public-private partnerships. The city lacks at least 400 classrooms.

“I would also like to encourage our teachers to inform our students that MCIAA owes the city P1.5 billion taxes. Money that could have been used in building more classrooms,” she said.

The COA said MCIAA owed the local government a total of P928.123 million in unpaid real estate taxes from 1992 to 2012, excluding P582 million in accumulated penalties.

Aside from MCIAA not paying real estate taxes, commercial establishments operating in the airport have also stopped paying their taxes. These business concerns have accumulated a total of P217.220 million from 1998 to 2012.

Apec bid

Lapu-Lapu City made a bid to host the 2015 Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit and host some of the ministerial meetings leading to the summit.

“There is so much work to do. A few weeks ago, we rolled out an activity to create a brand so that we can market the city to investors and tourists. We are almost there,” Radaza said.

Radaza boasted the investments that were poured in the city during her administration including the P20 billion Megaworld investment.

She also revealed investment proposal of Ayala Corporation to develop a 12-hectare property across Mactan Shangri-la Resort and Spa.

She will further push for the implementation of the 400-hectare reclamation project which will cover the foreshore land in barangays Ibo, Mactan, Buaya and Punta Engano. The project is estimated to cost P20 billion.

“My desire for calibrated development has resulted in the creation of over 80,000 jobs in the next five to ten years,” she said.

Oponganons here and abroad had the opportunity of viewing the webcast of the mayor’s Inaugural address. /with reports from Norman V. Mendoza