Aragones goes after delinquent taxpayers

LAGUNA Gov. Sol Aragones encouraged delinquent taxpayers and other big businessmen in the province to fulfill their responsibilities so the provincial government can fund crucial public services — specifically in health, agriculture and tourism.

“We have already identified them (delinquent taxpayers) and we are already running after them,” Aragones said in the vernacular during a live interview on DZMM’s “Gising Pilipinas,” as she also reminded them of the consequences.

The governor said the provincial government held exploratory talks with the delinquent taxpayers and most of them expressed willingness to cooperate.

“I told them, ‘Pay your taxes and I will make sure that not a single centavo goes into my pocket. It will benefit the health system of Laguna,’” the governor said.

“We already identified those who are not religiously paying their taxes. I already talked to them. I told them, ‘Help me with this, and I promise I won’t make your lives difficult. Getting a (business) permit will be easy.’”

The governor clarified that she is not asking for anything in return from these business people except to help improve the welfare of the people and the province by paying the right taxes.

Aragones has laid out her administration’s top three priorities.

“Health, tourism, and agriculture,” said Aragones, whose flagship initiative is to offer free maintenance medicines to residents and expand health care access across the province.

Aragones, meanwhile, announced the rollout of the “Akay ni Gob Botika” in all 24 municipalities and 6 cities of Laguna, which provides free maintenance medicines such as losartan, amlodipine, metformin, and rosuvastatin to qualified residents.

“If a person is already poor, let’s not make life even harder for them. The medicine is free, and the mobile pharmacy will go directly to their towns,” Aragones said.

Alongside health care, Aragones is pushing for strategic improvements in tourism and agriculture, noting plans to create a municipality-based tourism directory and to strengthen partnerships with local farmers and stakeholders.

To further enhance health care accessibility, the province is also set to launch the GOB SOL App, a digital platform that will connect patients to services like virtual check-ups and access to free medicines.