The thrust of Muntinlupa City’s Real Property Tax Administration is twofold: to harness the power of technology for better service delivery and to provide technical assistance to other local government units who intend to do the same. The city government has already computerized its real property tax base successfully. Assessment tools like tax maps and cadastral surveys have been used to develop a masterlist of all real properties within the locality. It contains the description and location of each property, the market and taxable value, the amount of taxes that were paid, and the list of delinquent payers. Monthly tax reports are generated and collection bills are sent promptly to concerned citizens.

The system which covers both the RPTA operations of the City Assessor’s Office and the Property Billing and Collection of the City Treasurer’s Office, is recognized and recommended by the Bureau of Local Government-Finance, as the Model System worth replicating by other local government units.

Transaction time has been reduced drastically from 30 to 45 minutes to barely 3 to 10 minutes, done in a friendly and personalized manner thus, establishing strong linkages with taxpayers. A computer is always available with an easy manual to follow for instructions. Likewise, a flyleaf is provided by the Assessor’s Office outlining the correct sequence of transactions to complete payments.

As a result, collection for 1999 grew by 15% despite the absence of a revaluation or increase in tax rates. The city’s real property tax base grew from P2.6 Billion in 1988 to about P19.5 Billion in 2000. Efficiency of employees has increased and the Office has been awarded the Pag-asa Award and the Gantimpala Awards by the Civil Service Commission. The program has also been replicated in 21 municipalities since 1997. To systematize the process, the office instituted the following steps: (1) a memorandum of agreement is drawn between the two LGUs; (2) the city government of Muntinlupa provides the training and the software for free while the host LGUs provide the hardware; and (3) an on-site evaluation is done aside from follow-up visits and consultations provided by the city government of Muntinlupa. Installation usually takes up to six months.

This program is recognized as a Trailblazing Program, a finalist for the 2000 Galing Pook Awards.