Mayor given authority to negotiate with online payment providers

The city council passed resolution no. 301, series of 2022, granting Mayor Benjamin Magalong authority to negotiate and enter into an agreement with Globe Telecom and any other equally qualified online payment service provider for the adoption of additional or alternative mode of payment of taxes, fees and charges due to the city government subject to confirmation by the local legislature.

It states that the confirmation shall be based on shown advantages or justifications for the adoption of the service provider over others as may be presented in a comparative evaluation made for the purpose.

The august body considered the Mayor’s letter dated May 13, 2022 requesting authority to enter into an agreement with the telecom company to avail of GCash as a payment mode for taxes, fees and charges being paid to the city by the public.

Online payment is fast becoming a convenient, safe, reliable and honest way of paying obligations, the approved measure states.

It states that, “online payment is one among the schemes to realize the Speeding-up Government Processes and Smart City programs which are among the core agenda of the administration to be pursued aggressively to be available for the public by the end of the year”.

Currently, the city government is working with the Land Bank of the Philippines (LBP) to integrate with their online payment system—Linkbiz Portal to make GCash—which is not yet available with the LBP portal as a way of payment by the public to the city, the resolution states.

“Taking into consideration the urgent need to adopt online payment as a convenient and practical alternative in the payment of taxes, fees and charges to the city government of Baguio, legislative support will have to be provided to the request,” it states. – Gaby B. Keith