Ong seeks timely release of 30% RPT shares to barangays

The Cebu City Council, through Association of Barangay Councils (ABC) President Franklyn Ong, manifested the need for the timely distribution of the 30 percent share of the barangays in real property tax (RPT) for this year.

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This, after the Commission on Audit (COA) flagged the City Government's non-distribution of the 30 percent share of the barangays in RPT that amounted to P204 million.

During the Cebu City Council regular session on Wednesday, Ong raised the "failure" of the City Treasurer's Office (CTO) to distribute the barangays' share, which deprived the component areas of the city.

Ong said it is also a violation of the Local Government Code of 1991, which mandates that the CTO should distribute the barangays' share on the fifth day of every quarter from the time they receive the RPT revenue.

He said that the share of the barangays is crucial for their survival as it is a primary resource to support their services.

"This humble manifestation is just hoping that moving forward, our treasury department can timely distribute the RPT share of the barangay," said Ong.

In the 2024 audit report of the COA, among the observations noted by the auditors was the nonrecognition of the realized portion totaling up to P340 million of the deferred revenue from the advance collection of RPT. According to the state audit, this deferment has resulted in an understatement of the City's reported income.