QC eyes unpaid contractor’s taxes to fund housing projects

Housing projects in the Philippines. Photo courtesy of Asia Green Buildings.

MANILA — The Quezon City government wants to build more housing projects for informal settlers, especially families relocated from danger zones, from unpaid contractor’s taxes.

“We could not delay our housing program and leave hundreds or thousands of families in danger.

It is our administration’s thrust to create and build decent houses for informal settlers where they could safely live,” said Mayor Herbert Bautista in a statement.

Bautista said he has ordered negotiations with the PhilHealth (Philippine Health Insurance Corporation), Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) and Metro Rail Transit Corporation on collection of their contractor’s tax due to the city.

From PhilHealth alone, Bautista revealed that the city has almost Php 75 million collectible in contractor’s tax, a huge amount that could finance at least a hundred row houses for informal settler families (ISFs).

He said that PhilHealth could convert its tax due to the city into a housing program for QC’s informal settlers.

This, the mayor said, is also applicable to other companies or agencies which also have unpaid taxes.

The city also has Php 97 million tax collectible from the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP), which if collected will be a great help in pursuing more housing projects for the city’s underprivileged.

The city government has been awarded by Galing Pook Foundation for its socialized housing program which is building well-organized Bistekville housing projects with multi-purpose facilities for public services such as health and day-care centers.

Bistekville projects are being built in eight different areas in QC. Two of them — at Payatas and Barangay Kaligayahan — are already completed.