SM City-Clark emerges as top property taxpayer anew

SM City-Clark emerges as top property taxpayer anew | Daily Tribune

ANGELES CITY, Pampanga — SM City Clark-Premier Central Inc. was recognized as the Angeles City’s top real property taxpayer for four consecutive years, from 2020 to 2023, at the city’s Top 30 Taxpayers Awards held Thursday evening.

Mayor Carmelo Lazatin Jr. and former president and now Second District of Pampanga Representative Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo presented the trophies to SM City Clark Mall Manager Jerwin Jalandoni and North Luzon 5 Malls Associate Vice President Andrea Francesca M. Rodriguez.

Lazatin commended the business sector’s role in the city’s development, highlighting the importance of collected taxes in establishing innovative programs. He expressed his gratitude to SM City Clark for their contributions, acknowledging that the award cannot fully encompass their impact.

SM City Clark also received recognition in the Corporate Business Tax category, ranking eighth in 2020 and ninth from 2021 to 2023. Additionally, SM Store and SM Hypermarket were recognized among the top corporate business taxpayers throughout the period.

Lazatin spoke about his desire to honor businesses for their contributions to the city’s tax revenue. He emphasized that these taxes fund essential social services.

The mayor recalled his father, former Pampanga Representative and Angeles City Mayor Carmelo Lazatin, emphasizing the need to maintain a business-friendly environment. Lazatin credited his father’s wisdom for his own commitment to not raising taxes but instead improving collection efficiency.

Since taking office, Lazatin’s administration has achieved a P200 million surplus within the first six months, enabling employee bonuses. Under his leadership, the city has seen a consistent rise in local revenue, with real property tax exceeding P68 million and business tax exceeding P206 million over the past five years.

These collections have also allowed the city to invest in public education through free uniforms, school supplies, and mobile bus clinics used for the city’s efficient vaccination program during the Covid-19 pandemic, lauded as one of the most effective nationwide by the Department of Health.