San Miguel Brewery, Inc. (SMB), a subsidiary of San Miguel Corporation and the leading beer manufacturing firm in the country, is the top business taxpayer of the Municipality of Sta. Cruz for year 2017 with a total business tax payment of 13.3 million pesos.
According to Neil Capuno, Sta. Cruz Business Permit and Licensing Officer, SMB’s payment accounts for 38% of the overall business tax collection of the municipality. SMB operates a modern brewery in Barangay Darong since 1997.
HEDCOR Sibulan, Inc. – a power generation firm of Aboitiz Power – is second with 5.3 million business tax payment followed by Franklin Baker Company, Inc. in Coronon with 5.2 million tax payment. Coco Davao, Inc. (2 million) and GSL Banana Chips Factory (796 thousand) round off the top 4 and top 5 places, respectively.
Capuno also said that the business taxes paid by these five companies comprises 76% of the total tax collection of the municipality.
As of July 2017, there are a total of 608 businesses registered in Sta. Cruz that generated 34.07 million pesos business taxes, 1.009 million pesos business permit fees and 1.3 million other regulatory fees.
Two business locators are still enjoying Business Tax incentives in Therma South, Inc. and Franklin Baker’s Virgin Coconut Oil and Coco Water plant while Franklin Baker in Darong is registered under the Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA) with separate incentives being provided by the said agency.