By Chito Chavez
In the wake of the threat posed by the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte urged the city council to pass a measure that will extend the deadline for the payment of business, real property and transfer taxes from March 31 to April 30.
Mayor Joy Belmonte (Mayor Joy Belmonte Official Facebook Page / FILE PHOTO / MANILA BULLETIN)
“We have requested the city council to enact a resolution or ordinance extending the payment of taxes. This way, local residents have more time to settle their dues amid the declaration of community quarantine in Metro Manila,” said Belmonte.
“Ito’y tulong na rin sa ating mamamayan na naaapektuhan sa banta ng COVID-19 sa ating lungsod (This our assistance to the public that is severely affected by the COVID-19 threat),” she added.
Even with the extension, City Treasurer Ed Villanueva said the discount provided by the city government to early taxpayers remains in effect.
Despite Belmonte’s order to implement alternative work arrangements, Villanueva said the City Treasurer’s Office has set up a skeletal force to work five days a week at the City Hall.
"Gusto rin namin ipaalam na sarado ang aming tanggapan sa City Hall at satellite offices tuwing weekend habang may community quarantine. Babalik ang normal operations kapag tapos na ang quarantine period (We want to inform that our office at city hall and satellite offices are closed during weekends while the community quarantine is in effect). Things will normalize once the quarantine period ends)," Villanueva said.
Earlier, Belmonte assured that the services of the city government will remain unhampered despite the implementation of alternative work arrangements for the non-essential personnel.
“Your local government is working at all fronts to maintain regular operations under the new work scheme to ensure regular services are being delivered to our citizens even as we face the threat of this virus,” she concluded.