Piddig, Ilocos Norte – The Office
of the Sangguniang Bayan (SB) of Piddig, Ilocos Norte ratified a resolution
from the Municipal Development Council to dole out tobacco excised tax share
for the local farmers on Monday (February 26, 2018).
The fund is amounting to 125
billion pesos fund from R.A. 7171 is apportioned for local government unit
(LGU) of Piddig this year.
Four (4) members of the
legislative body agreed namely: SBM Hershey Mandac, SBM Lendell Chua, SBM
Wilbor Bringas and SBM Marianito Foronda. The lawmakers believe that the excised
tax’s share must be cast-off for agricultural development.
Meanwhile, three (3) councillors strike
down and voted “no” to the said resolution namely: SBM Quezon Alejandro, SBM
Onofre Bayag and SBM Romulo Helario, Sr. -- they’ve wanted to obligate more time
in assessing the fund and scrutinize it well.
In the other hand, SBM Rey
Nicolas waved his right to abstain and had no opinion of the said purpose. Also,
ABC Federated President Florentino Soriano was absent during the regular session
due to a convention he have had attended in Clark, Pampanga.
Nevertheless, municipal mayor
Georgina Salazar-Guillen expressed her appreciations to the members of the Sangguniang
Bayan on their munificent effort.
“It is high-time and indeed necessary for the
LGU to give what is right to our town-folks especially the farmers,” added
Mayor Guillen.
The allotted funds from the
excise taxes (RA 717) are divided among beneficiary provinces. The laws says,
must have an average annual production of leaf tobacco of no less than one
million kilos.
It can only be utilized to
develop the capacity and capability of tobacco farmers through: Cooperative
projects, Livelihood projects, Agro-industrial projects and Infrastructure
projects such as farm-to-market roads to ease transportation and lessen costs.###
(Bernard Ver, PBS/DWCI)
