TAX COLLECTION. The Bureau of Internal Revenue in the Cordillera is on track to hitting its PHP12 billion collection goal for 2024. During the weekly Kapihan sa Bagong Pilipinas briefing in Baguio City on Tuesday (Oct. 8, 2024), BIR Revenue Region 2 Director Corazon Balinas (right) said information and education campaigns and digitalization have helped in collecting PHP7.9 billion in taxes as of Oct. 7. (PNA photo by Liza T. Agoot)
BAGUIO CITY – Information and education campaigns and digitalization have helped the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) in the Cordillera strengthen its collection drive, making an official confident of hitting their PHP12.01 billion target this year.
BIR Revenue Region (RR) 2 Director Corazon Balinas, during the Kapihan sa Bagong Pilipinas briefing on Tuesday, said collection performance showed a good trend.
“That gives us the confidence that we can reach our target,” she said in Filipino.
As of Oct. 7, the regional BIR office has collected about PHP7.94 billion, she said.
Balinas said that from being among the lowest performers in the country, Cordillera emerged No. 3 in terms of collection efficiency.
She said all Revenue District Offices (RDO) in the provinces have been performing well.
Data showed that the BIR in Abra exceeded its collection from January to Oct. 7 by 63.19 percent; Baguio City by 10.14 percent; Benguet by 52.35 percent; Mountain Province by 10.57 percent; Kalinga and Apayao by 15.05 percent; and Ifugao by 16.73 percent.
“We meet, educate and give good service to the taxpayers. We also now have an ease of paying tax systems and we educate taxpayers by helping them learn how to use it,” Balinas said.
Balinas said industries that largely contributed to the higher collection goal include infrastructure projects, public service activities, power generation, other business activities, education services, ancillary service activities, and housing. (PNA)
