Ilocos gov to Malacanang: Release multi-million peso tobacco excise tax fund

By Mario T. Supnad

VIGAN CITY, Ilocos Sur- Gov. Deogracias Victor “DV” Savellano as appealed to Malacanang to immediately release the tobacco excise tax worth hundreds of millions of pesos due the province to finance various infrastructures and livelihood programs of his constituents.

Savellano’s appeal came at a time when the world in facing global financial crisis severely affecting banks, multinational companies and causing retrenchment of tens of thousands of employees.

The tobacco excise tax, known as Republic Act number 7171, is an automatic income of the province being its share from its tobacco products. R.A. 7171 was principally authored by then Congressman Luis “Chavit” Singson, now Undersecretary being a deputy national security adviser.

Savellano said a number of priority projects have been on the pipeline that need to be immediately implemented to give a sigh of relief to the fishermen and tobacco farmers who have contributed much to the billions of income from the tobacco industry by the national government. It was learned that the government is collecting around P22 billion as income yearly from the industry.

Among the livelihood projects the governor wanted to be funded are the poultry and piggery, vegetable raising, planting of herbal medicinal plants, planting of malunggay and caturay. He also urged his constituents to engage in backyard gardening as this will support their daily needs of vegetables.

Savellano has preferred to promote the said livelihood programs believing this will benefit most of the people of Ilocos Sur than constructing and constructing infrastructure projects in the province. Ilocos Sur, however, has long been classified as First class province with the tobacco income it is receiving from the national government.

The governor has also been sponsoring a number of seminars to his constituents in his bid to empower them and boost their knowledge, particularly in terms of livelihood, skills training program, among others.