6 Ilocos Sur towns among richest municipalities in PH
SANTIAGO, Ilocos Sur—Six towns in this province emerged as among the 20 richest municipalities in the country, while Ilocos Sur is now the 5th richest province as of 2022.
People’s Journal learned that Pilar and Abra also included in the top 20 richest towns.
“I visited recently the remote Pilar town in Abra and you can notice that almost all farmers there were equipped by the local government unit with tractors and other farm equipment in their farming of tobacco,” said Police officer Reynald ‘Bong’ Ramos.
The richest towns in Ilocos Sur are Cabugao, Sta. Maria, Magsingal, Sinait, Sta Cruz and Salcedo.
According to the 2022 Commission on Audit (COA) Annual Financial Report covering 1,487 municipalities in the country, Carmona, Cavite was worth P6.52 billion; Limay, Bataan P5.79 billion; Silang, Cavite P4.45 billion; Caluya, Antique P3.82 billion; Cabugao, Ilocos Sur, P3.81 billion; Cainta, Rizal P3.77 billion; Taytay, Rizal P3.67 billion: Claver, Surigao del Norte P3.57 billion; Binangonan, Rizal P3.49 billion; Sta. Maria, Ilocos Sur P3.27 billion; Sta. Cruz, Ilocos Sur P3.22 billion; Pilar, Abra P3.2 billion; Magsingal, Ilocos Sur P3.04 billion; Nasugbu, Batangas P2.96 billion; Sinait, Ilocos Sur P2.92 billion; Rodriguez, Rizal P2.86 billion; Sual, Pangasinan P2.65 billion; Bataraza, Palawan P2.58 billion; Salcedo, Ilocos Sur and P2.55 billion; and Tanay, Rizal.
COA also reported that Ilocos Sur climbed two places from seventh to fifth, with wealth of P21.6 billion, surpassing Bukidnon, which slipped from fifth to sixth.
The Journal learned the main sources of this richest towns and the province came their share from tobacco excise tax, a law principally authored by then congressman Chavit Singson.
COA’s Annual Financial Report in 2022 covered 81 provinces, 147 cities and 1,487 municipalities.
Lamentably, it was observed that the number of tobacco farmers are decreasing brought about alleged government’s lack of support and neglect.
The tobacco industry is one of the major sources of income by the national government as it contributes more than P100 billion in taxes alone.
Some feared that the tobacco industry might die due to low tobacco prices and farmers blamed this to the monopoly of prices by unscrupulous big-time traders who manipulate the prices.
