Teachers in collecting real property taxes

The Mandaue City Treasurer's Office is planning to tap public school teachers in collecting real property taxes.

Mandaue City Treasurer Regal Oliva said he will ask teachers to help his office send demand letters to property owners that have yet to pay their taxes.

Last December, Oliva said the city sent demand letters to about 3,000 real property owners.

The letters helped the city raise its collection to P258.3 million last year, an increase of 103 percent from 2011.

"The demand letters we sent to real property owners were a factor in the increase," Oliva said.

Apart from real property, taxes the city was also able to increase its collection of business taxes. As of January 25, it collected P236 million, an increase of 26 percent from last year's.

Despite the demand letters, some property owners have yet to settle their unpaid taxes.

Oliva said about 500 real property units are set for public auctions.

But owners can still save their properties from getting auctioned if they heed the final demand letters the city will send soon with the help of public school teachers.