CITY OF SAN FERNANDO – The Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) Revenue Regional IV (RR4) office, considered as the first ever government green building in the province of Pampanga was inaugurated yesterday.
The inauguration of the new green building, located at the Provincial Engineer’s Office compound at Barangay Sindalan, here was led by Caesar Dulay, Commissioner of Internal Revenue and Jethro Sabariaga, BIR RR4 Director, Governor Lilia “Nanay” Pineda, provincial board members, two city mayors.
Director Sabariaga said that the building was not only for Pampanga’s but the country’s commitment to a green building or a green complex.
He added that it was also powered by 400 kilowatts per hour of solar panels and a water recovery treatment facility to conserve water.
“The building was economically designed to maximize airflow and to maximize the capturing of light so that we won’t need a lot of fluorescent lights and the perimeter lights are all solar-panel and the air-conditioning units are solar-powered as well,” Sabariaga said.
“In all, we intend to save around P6-million in electricity consumption every year because of the environmental features we did in building the complex,” he added.
Meanwhile, the governor recalled that in 2015, the Pampanga Capitol donated a 1-hectare land property worth of P200-million to the P647-million budgeted new green building of BIR RR4.
“May mga nagtatanong sa akin dati bakit ako nag-donate ng 1-hectare sa BIR, ang sagot ko po sa kanila, saan namin kukunin yung mga pinamimigay namin sa mga may sakit, saan kami kukuha ng pangtustos sa mga scholars namin at saan kami kukuha ng pangtulong sa mga Kapampangan kung wala ang BIR,” Governor Pineda said.
The lady governor added that the government will not have a budget for its expenses without the tax collection of the BIR.
Meanwhile, Caesar Dulay, Commissioner of Internal Revenue, commended Governor Pineda, Vice Governor Dennis “Delta” Pineda, provincial board members and the city mayors for their dynamism in leading the province.
He also added that that the BIR continues its programs for making it easy for the citizens, taxpayers, particularly in Pampanga region, to do businesses.
Dulay mentioned that the BIR collected around P1.79-billion of tax in 2017 and aims for P2.039-billion for 2018. –Leslie Anne Mahusay • PIO PAMPANGA