The Iloilo City Government has earned the continued support of the business community committed to doing its part in boosting the development of Iloilo City.

Philippine Foremost Milling Corporation chair Dr. Alfonso Uy, who spoke on behalf of the 40 top taxpayers who were recognized by the local government in celebration of Iloilo City’s 86th Charter Day on Friday, Aug. 25, emphasized the significance of business and investment to the growth of the city.

“We thank the city government for recognizing that contribution and support of business. We thank everyone for helping in this effort. We are happy to do our part, we are happy to do our share and we will continue to do our part,” he said during the awarding of the top individual and corporation taxpayers in real property and business held at the Grand Xing Hotel in the city.

He said that 15 years ago the city faced problems with power and water, two essentials for economic development.

But a public-private partnership helped identify and suggest solutions, resulting in huge investments in power generation, which not only addressed the supply problem but even contributed huge taxes, he added.

Mayor Jerry P. Treñas, in his message, said the city government has made it easier for businesses to pay their taxes with the presence of four offsite payment centers available at the SM City, Atrium, Festive Walk and Mary Mart Mall.

“It is because of what you have been doing to support Iloilo City government that we are reinventing governance, we are reinventing how we can serve our people better,” he said.

Leading the list of top taxpayers was the Panay Energy Development Corporation (PEDC) for business and real property tax (RPT) for the corporation category.

Other awardees for RPT under the corporation category were SM Prime Holdings, Inc., Megaworld Corporation, Panay Power Corporation, HEVA Management Development Corporation, Philippine Foremost Milling Corporation, Robinsons Land Corporation, MORE Electric and Power Corporation, Avon River Power Holdings Corporation, and the TTK Realty and Development Corporation.

For individual category, honored were Spouses (Sps.) Romeo Go and Jill Go, Sps. Theodore M. Valderrama and Eufemia Wilmett Wuthrich Valderrama, Sps. Lynn S. Kho and James Kho, Sps. Marcelino M. Florete, Jr. and Susan C. Florete, Vicky Yu Yap and Sps. Winston Vincent Yu Yap and Genivie Servidad Yap, Wu Bing Huai, Sps. Emilio S. Diez and Gina S. Diez, Robert U. Po, Marilyn Uy Ong , and Sps. Tomas Cheng Chua and Sonita Uy Cheng Chua.

For the business tax corporation category, other awardees were MORE Electric and Power Corporation, SYL Hermanos Industrial Sales, Inc., Samsung Electronics Philippines Corporation, Vic Imperial Appliance Corporation, Mandurriao Star, Inc., ACM Landholdings, Inc., Philippine Foremost Milling Corporation, Panay Power Corporation, and La Filipina Uy Gongco Corporation.

The individual top business taxpayers (single proprietorship) were Gilbert F. Falcis, Denate Martin Crisostomo Que, Theodore M. Valderrama, Noemi Borgonia Gevero, Ronnie P. Primaylon, George O. Que, Manuel L. Kho, Alvin Hilario De Guzman Uy, Paul O. Que, and Nancy C. Penit. PerlaLena/PNA