Manila – The Bureau of Local Government Finance (BLGF) Local Governance Reform Project (LGRP) Project Management Implementation Structure (PMIS), in collaboration with the LGRP Project Management Unit (PMU), conducted an Annual Planning Workshop, on 19 to 22 December 2022, at the Century Park Hotel, Manila, in a bid to revisit project commitments and accomplishments, and to develop sound and strategic actions for the timely implementation of the project.  

In his keynote message, Department of Finance (DOF) Revenue Generation and Local Finance Group OIC Undersecretary Dakila Elteen Napao, assured the BLGF of the DOF’s support in realizing the LGRP outputs to reform the administration and management of real property tax and boost the country’s local government revenue mobilization efforts.   

“Rest assured that the DOF will work together with you in the completion of this important project as we achieve the intended outcomes of a better, more facilitating policy and administrative environment for LGUs to institute reforms in real property valuation and assessment, and increase own-source revenue from real property tax”, Undersecretary Napao said.  

BLGF OIC Executive Director Ma. Pamela P. Quizon, in her closing message, underscored the LGRP as the precursor to the Real Property Valuation Reform bill which was passed in the Lower House on 12 December 2022.  

“And with this project comes the challenge to answer the call of the people for strengthened local governance through an enhanced real property valuation system in the country”, OIC Executive Director Quizon emphasized.  

The LGRP PMIS and PMU are expected to deliver the key targets and commitments for FY2023 which include the (a) printing and publication of the updated manuals on Real Property Appraisal and Assessment Operations and Philippine Valuation Standards; (b) issuance of policies on Idle Land Tax and Socialized Housing; (c) contracting firms for the Computer Assisted Mass Appraisal (CAMA); (d) finalization and onboarding of the twenty (20) pilot LGUs; (e) conduct of Tax Impact Study and Tax Compliance Study, Diagnostic Study and Competency Mapping for the LGU assessors; (f) conduct of ladderized framework for the academic curricula for the real estate management course offerings, twinning program and partnerships with academic institutions; and (g) contracting and onboarding of the e-Learning firm.