The payment, made last week, came months after the Supreme Court decided with finality the petition filed by the city government as regards collection of real estate taxes from PNOC-EDC.
The local government unit, using the Local Government Code of 1991 as basis, has since asked the PNOC-EDC to pay the taxes for using the geothermal reservation area at Mt. Apo for geothermal energy development.
The PNOC-EDC, however, had sought exemption from the Department of Finance, which was granted many years ago. The LGU had made several appeals, until such time that it decided to file the petition at the Supreme Court.
Early this year, the SC decided with finality on the case and ordered the PNOC-EDC to pay real estate taxes.
The original amount was P120 million, but it was lowered down to P73 million when the company availed of a tax amnesty from the local legislative council here.
Mayor Rodolfo Gantuangco said that 50 percent of the P73 million would be allotted for the Special Education Fund (SEF) of the LGU. Part of the amount will be appropriated for the additional salaries of SEF teachers.
Gantuangco assured teachers that starting November this year, the monthly salaries of SEF teachers — about 100 of them — will be increased to P8,000, or P2,000 more than their current pay.
Thirty percent of the P73 million will be allotted for community projects through Barangay Development Plan. Each barangay will receive P250,000 yearly allocation from the LGU. This is aside from the P500,000 each village gets as appropriation from the LGU.
“This will mean quality teachers because of the increase in their salaries. Thus, it would result to quality education. Part of the money will also go to school development and related expenses,” he said in a radio interview.