This came to light in the wake of a press release last week from the Provincial Information Office that may have unwittingly listed the RPT collections of the first class municipality as only P1,842,708.58.
It was that press release that served as the basis for the editorial in this paper’s Feb. 9-11, 2015 issue that took to task Mexico, along with Mabalacatr City, for sub-par performance in the RPT collections.
A document secured yesterday from the Capitol on the RPT collections for 2014 showed Mexico registering under the column “Grand Total Net Collections” the exact amount of P31,842,708.58, leading all local government units in Pampanga, saved from the City of San Fernando which was not in the list.
Far second to Mexico in RPT collections is Lubao with P20,442,290.28, closely followed by Porac with P20,320,024.72.
The duly signed copy was prepared by Cris G. Roxas, administrative aide I; certified correct by Remedios I. Gomez, LTOO III; and noted by Pia Magdalena D. Quibal, ICO-Provincial Treasurer.
Convergence
It was a Mexico-based businessman that took exception to Punto’s editorial, citing the “high improbability” of his town’s “extremely low” RPT collections, given what he called the “commercial-residential convergence” in the municipality that “further enhanced (Mexico’s) attraction for investments.”
Requesting anonymity “lest (he) be misconstrued as partisan,” the businessman cited Mayor Roy D. Manalastas for the “sincerity, industry and transparency” of his administration which he said “greatly contributed” to the “accelerated development” of the town.
