The provincial government here collected a record-breaking PHP1.056 billion in revenues from quarrying at Mt. Pinatubo in 2023, a report released on Wednesday said.
A statement from the Office of the Governor said the amount would be of great help in boosting the delivery of health and other services to Kapampangans.
Based on records of the Office of the Provincial Treasurer (OPT), the administration of Pampanga Governor Dennis Pineda collected PHP459.6 million in 2019; PHP609.6 million in 2020; PHP782.5 million in 2021; and PHP738.6 million in 2022.
The revenues were generated through the PHP250 administrative fee and PHP150 sand tax and various fees, including penalties.
The barangays, cities or towns, and province share the sand tax at 40-30-30 percent, respectively. The capitol retains the administrative fee to regulate the multi-million-peso quarry industry, bringing the net provincial share or revenues to over PHP2 billion in five years.
“Malaki po ang aking pagpapasalamat sa mga quarry associations at hauling companies dahil sa kanilang pagbabayad ng buwis, pagsunod sa ating mga patakaran at pagtalima sa batas kontra-overloading (I am extremely grateful to quarry associations and hauling companies for their payment of taxes, for adhering to our policies and obeying the anti-overloading law),” Pineda said.
He also thanked former Bacolor Mayor Romeo Dungca for supervising well the regulatory unit Kalam (Kapampangan a Lulugud at Matapat).
Business leaders had said that Kapampangans showed their resiliency after the June 1991 eruption of Mt. Pinatubo when they transformed the disaster into a “kalam” (blessing) by selling the sand and other volcanic debris from the lahar flows.
“Ang kita po sa quarry ay ginagamit lagi sa mga serbisyo para sa ating mga kabalen (Our revenues from quarrying are always used in the services for our townmates),” Pineda assured.
The governor said his administration continues to be committed to protecting the environment as well as government and private infrastructure while regulating the industry. (PNA)
Photo credit: Facebook/pampangapio
