Western Visayas groups criticize tax hikes, new transport routes

The Konsultahang Bayan marked a step toward collective dialogue, with youth and grassroots groups pledging to continue to watch over Iloilo’s tax and transport policies.

ILOILO CITY – Progressive youth and student groups in Western Visayas gathered for a public consultation dubbed “Konsultahang Bayan” to discuss the mounting concerns over the sharp increase in real property tax (RPT) and the implementation of the Local Public Transport Route Plan (LPTRP) in Iloilo City on Sept. 6. 

The event was led by the West Visayas Youth and Students Alliance, National Union of Students of the Philippines (NUSP), College Editors Guild of the Philippines (CEGP), Kabataan Partylist, and Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan)–Panay. Held as a grassroots consultation, the activity served as a platform for residents, transport workers, and students to explain how the new policies have affected them.

Rising Real Property Tax burdens

Much of the discussion centered on Iloilo City’s Tax Ordinance No. 2023-226 which revised property assessments for the first time since 2006. The new schedule of values, effective 2024, raised market values across districts from 50% to as high as 1,933%. Consequently, the RPT levy also rose from 1.5% to 2.0 percent.

While the City Council granted a 40% discount on the levy until 2026, groups stressed that the measure does not offset the burden on ordinary residents. Retired Prof. Tomas Talledo, spokesperson of Movement Against Tyranny–Panay, warned that the hikes will disproportionately impact the middle class rather than the city’s wealthiest landowners.

“It will negatively affect the middle classes in Iloilo rather than the big property owners like malls and BPOs. [Because they can just] increase the rentals and pass it on to the ultimate consumers. So the middle class are the real victims of the [increased] Real Property Tax.” Talledo said in Filipino.

New transport routes displace traditional jeepneys

The consultation also tackled the Local Public Transport Route Plan (LPTRP), a key component of the Public Transport Modernization Program (PTMP). According to Elmer Forro, lead convenor of the No to PUV Phaseout Coalition, the LPTRP effectively phases out traditional jeepneys, paving the way for the dominance of large corporations and foreign companies in the transport sector.

“The LPTRP is a major component of the PTMP o Public Transport Modernization Program and its objective is the total phase-out of traditional jeepneys so big foreign corporations can monopolize our transport industries in the Philippines,” Forro said in Filipino. According to him, routes originally traversed by traditional jeepneys are now being allocated to the new imported mini-buses, while traditional jeepneys are given less popular routes resulting in the loss of income of jeepney drivers. According to Forro, Iloilo City has 2,580 traditional jeepney drivers but the LPTRP only allocated routes for 1,700 traditional jeepneys. Forro further criticized local officials for ignoring repeated dialogues since 2022.

Impact on students

Matthew Gonzaga, NUSP–Panay Regional Coordinator, stressed how both the RPT and LPTRP policies add financial strain to young people pursuing their education in the city.

He said that the RPT hike has led to increased rents, particularly for boarding houses near universities. “Before, students could find shared rooms at P3,500 ($62). Now, the cheapest is P5,000 ($88), and that’s only for a bed space. The burden from landlords paying higher property taxes is passed on directly to students,” Gonzaga said in Filipino.

Gonzaga also raised concerns on transport accessibility, noting that the removal of traditional jeepneys under the LPTRP forces students to rely on fewer and more expensive mini-buses. “What used to be an P11 fare in a jeepney is now P12–P13, sometimes more, in the modern buses. Fewer units mean longer travel times, overcrowding, and higher costs. Students are now saying that ‘P500 ($9) is the new P100 ($1.8)’ because it’s no longer enough for daily expenses,” he added.

Last month, lone opposition councilor Sheen Marie Mabilog questioned the RPT before the Iloilo City Council but was repeatedly rejected by the rest of the city council. The Konsultahang Bayan marked a step toward collective dialogue, with youth and grassroots groups pledging to continue to watch over Iloilo’s tax and transport policies. (AMU, DAA)

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