Punchline
Still not legit
By Ermin Garcia Jr.
NOT a few readers continue to ask this corner if the Citystate Savings Bank branch operations at the old MC Adore Hotel building in Dagupan are already legit.
By inference, the phrase “operating legit” obviously wants to know if Citystate has already secured its business / mayor’s permit? The answer to that is: The bank is still operating without the basic permits –building and business permits.
That is followed by another: Has Citystate finally paid its business taxes due the city government like all other business establishments in Dagupan? Good question! The last time I asked the same question, Citystate reportedly attempted to pay but the city hall had to reject the payment since its operations did not have a business permit.
So technically, Citystate already owes Dagupan City millions in business taxes and penalties for operating in the city without permits.
Mr. Antonio Cabangon Chua, Citystate majority owner, should thank his stars that BIR Commissioner Kim Henares is not involved in the administration of local government’s revenues.
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A CASE OF METER-GRABBING? Then comes another question on a contentious issue: Is the Citystate is still operating using the city government’s ’s registered electric meter? If one follows the procedure for applying for one’s own electric meter, i.e., submission of building permit, etc. I believe the bank is still using the city government’s meter. Unless, of course, the Dagupan Electric Corp. worked “wonders” to allow the bank to have its own registered meter, which is not likely.
I sent a text to Decorp’s Atty Randy Santillan asking for a clarification and he replied that the issue remains unresolved because the inquiry or ruling it sought some two years ago from the Energy Regulatory Commission. ERC appears to be taking its time. This was confirmed by City Legal Officer George Mejia.
In brief, the ERC has not ruled on the inquiry but simply directed that the status quo be preserved. This means the bank should still be allowed to use the government’s meter even without the explicit permission of the city government. Does that make sense? Only to the government agency!
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THE ENFORCER. I asked some city government officials how and why this highly irregular situation with the Citystate Savings Bank is allowed to continue. It’s a situation that is clearly unfair to all big and small establishments operating in the city and dutifully paying their taxes.
The quick response was – it shouldn’t be! The city council already passed an ordinance last year (?) authorizing the city treasurer to close establishments that operate without the business permit, I was told.
If that ordinance has been in effect, then City Treasurer Romelita Alcantara is already guilty of dereliction of duty, certainly a case for the Ombudsman and the civil service!
In fact, I would add that her office also failed to promptly act on the recent case involving the SS Marketing lending company that duped Bonuan residents into borrowing money with usurious interests. The company even had some of the borrowers arrested but the city treasurer still did nothing to close the company. A simple verification with the city hall’s One-Stop Shop, the company has no business permit, worse, it has no SEC registration as claimed!
When I broached the matter to other city hall officials, many already suspect a stinker of a conspiracy at the city hall- to sabotage Mayor Belen Fernandez’s administration in both cases – the Citystate Savings Bank and SS Marketing!
This situation should alert Mayor Belen’s ardent loyalists!
If Ms. Alcantara wishes to explain her inaction here, she can have my space.
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STILL A MYSTERY. On May 12 will mark the second year the day former Dagupan Mayor Benjie Lim completely disappeared without a trace after he was rushed to the Makati Medical Center on the eve of the 2013 elections.
To this day, the family is still mum about his welfare and whereabouts to the disappointment of thousands of his followers and allies who have longed to visit him and talk to him.
Except for some unverifiable accounts being floated, i.e., Mr. Lim is undergoing therapy in an undisclosed place, or have traveled to the US or China for treatment, or he now lives at the Bonifacio Global City in Taguig. Still, nobody knows for certain where and how he is. There are even talks that he will make a comeback in 2016. Hmmm.
But whatever, many are still hoping Vice Mayor Brian Lim can share a happy news with friends and the city he once served. Why the mystery? They ask.
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PTK AS NATIONAL PROGRAM. Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano’s advocacy which he launched as PTK (Presyo-Trabaho-Kta/Kaasyusan) is finally taking roots among market vendors, jeepney and tricycle operators and drivers associations, and cooperatives of small entrepreneurs.
It was an advocacy he pursued after his series of listening tours that started way back in 2013 when he campaigned for his re-election. Unlike most “promising” politicians, Mr. Cayetano proved to be different by returning to the same groups he talked to and engaged in serious discussions about their problems. He returned with the solutions!
The most common problem of most is the little or no access to capital given them by government to help them in their endeavors. The most accessible to them is the 5/6 lending which is convenient but at the same time they realize that most of their earnings end up in interest payments.
The senator, unknown to many, quietly approached multinationals and friendly capitalists shortly after the 2013 campaign to convince them to join him in his advocacy to help the small enterprising people in the countryside. And they did.
With the funds he raised, he’s been working with groups that have shown serious commitment to make a fund grant grow, providing them initially P100,000 in grants. The groups understood that the grant was not a dole-out. Today, more than 30 groups across the country have launched their own lending programs to serve their respective members, charging very minimal interests and requiring minimal documentation. His experiences with the groups have since proven with a little help possibly from government, real changes can be had for our people, not imagined or promised changes.
Given the very positive reaction of the PTK beneficiaries, Mr. Cayetano believes the billions poured into the 4Ps cash-transfer program by government could be put to better use by providing more funds to those who have less in life who are willing to help themselves.
His PTK is his inspiration today and he said he hopes the government will soon take the cue from it.
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