By Bernard Ver
Contributor
Piddig, Ilocos Norte—The Sangguniang Bayan here ratified a resolution from the Municipal Development Council to appropriate the municipality’s tobacco excise tax share for the local farmers on February 26, 2018.
Piddig’s tobacco excise tax share is PHP125 million.
The council voted 4-3 to approve the resolution.
Piddig councilors Hershey Mandac, Lendell Chua, Wilbor Bringas and Marianito Foronda voted for the resolution. They cited the need for the town’s tobacco excise tax share for agricultural development use.
Piddig councilors Quezon Alejandro, Onofre Bayag and Romulo Helario, Sr., on the other hand, voted against the resolution. They reasoned that they need more to time in assessing and scrutinizing the fund.
One of the two other council members, councilor Rey Nicolas, abstained; while ex-officio member Piddig Liga ng mga Barangay president Florentino Soriano was on a convention in Pampanga during the session.
After the approval, Piddig mayor Georgina Salazar-Guillen expressed her appreciation 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,” said Mrs. Guillen.
Republic Act 7171 calls for the allotment and sharing of funds from the tobacco excise among beneficiary provinces. Under the said law, a local government unit must have an average annual production of leaf tobacco of no less than one million kilos to earn a share.
The law further states that tobacco excise tax shares are only for the development of the capacity and capability of tobacco farmers through cooperative, livelihood, agro-industrial and infrastructure projects such as farm-to-market roads to ease transportation and lessen costs. (Bernard Ver)