Basak-Pardo collects P262T in property tax

HE Barangay.net project has enabled barangay Basak, Pardo in Cebu to receive P262,000 in real property tax payments from Feb. 27 to April 27 this year.

This was revealed by barangay captain Robert Cabarrubias last week.

“If not the first, Basak, Pardo is one of the few barangays in the Philippines that have this facility and service that accepts real property tax payment,” said Jeffrey Llanto, Department of Science and Technology (DOST) 7 senior research specialist.

Cebu City Hall has stationed a cashier to receive the real property tax payments in the barangay hall.

Before this facility was put up, all real property tax payments in the city were paid to the Cebu City Hall.

The Barangay.net project was launched in 2001 by the Barangay.Net Cebu Alliance Inc. with the assistance of the DOST and Central Visayas Information Sharing Network (Cvisnet) to give unconnected and underserved communities access to information and communications technology (ICT).

The pilot barangays were given computer sets with modems, fax machines and printers by Globe Telecom subsidiary Isla Communications Co. Inc. The Internet connection allowed them to gain access to Cebu City’s tax collection records and identify delinquent taxpayers within the area.

“We get a share of 30 percent of the real property tax collection we get in our own area,” said Cabarrubias.

Pilot

Basak, Pardo is the first of the eight pilot barangays to implement the project.
Cabarrubias said other barangays are now also interested and are in the process of acquiring the same information technology (IT)-enabled service, which offers many other benefits.

Basak, Pardo constituents now have access to vital information in the barangay, said Cabarrubias, who is also chairman of the Barangay.net Cebu Alliance Inc.

“Barangay clearance, administrative records, medical records in our health center, among many others, can now be done and found in our computerized database system,” he said. “This is actually a prelude to a paperless office.”

More units

The barangay hall has an IT room where five computer units are installed. Cabarrubias said they would acquire more computer units every year.

“Anybody can come and use for free our electronic library for research purposes,” he said.

“We also have a program called IT for Out of School Youth. With the help of DOST and Cvisnet, our youth can avail themselves of training and seminars on basic IT-related lessons. The barangay hall staff will also be trained, ” he said.

Another benefit of the system is transparency.

“Through our website (www.cvis.net.ph/basak-pardo), anyone can see and know our barangay budget, expenses, income and all other financial and social projects that the barangay is involved in,” said Cabarrubias.

There are more than 12,000 residents in Basak, Pardo, based on a 1998 survey, said the barangay chief, also called e-Captain by his fellow officers in the Barangay.net Cebu Alliance for his inclination toward and application of IT in his office.

Awareness

“This advancement and improvement in our services, however, would be meaningless if our people would not make use of this. We need to create IT awareness in our community and also encourage our people to integrate IT in their daily lives. I also encourage other barangay leaders to have IT facilities in their areas for faster and more convenient services to our constituents,” he said.

The Barangay.net Cebu Alliance Inc. will go to Escalante, Negros Occidental this week to conduct seminars and other services for barangay.net, said DOST’s Llanto.

Escalante is the first city in the country to virtually connect all its barangays. (ALC)