Residents complain of 300% amilyar increases in Imus City, Cavite

IMUS CITY, Cavite – Following the recent reassessment of land values, Imus City residents are reeling from staggering and unprecedented increases in property taxes, or locally known as amilyar.

The sharp tax hike took effect on January 1, 2024, pursuant to Sangguniang Panlungsod ng Imus Ordinance No. 05-230 Series of 2023, which mandates a comprehensive revision of the Schedule of Fair Market Value (SFMV) of real properties in Imus. The ordinance, which was implemented during the term of Mayor Alex L. Advincula, who took his first term in office in 2022, saw astonishing property valuation increases ranging from 300% to 2,300%.

Amilyar refers to the annual real property tax imposed on landowners based on the assessed market value of their property.

However, the recent sharp increases in property values and amilyar rates, the highest jump in the province, have caught many property owners off guard, with many facing staggering hikes that they claim are unreasonable and burdensome.

Property values in Imus during the Advincula administration have skyrocketed to levels that many feel are unsustainable. Areas along the Malagasang-Bucandala-Alapan Bypass and New Imus Boulevard saw a 2,000% increase in market value, rising from Php 800 per square meter in 2011 to Php 16,800 in 2024. Meanwhile, areas like Bucandala-Alapan Road and Advincula Avenue experienced a 1,375% jump, reaching Php 11,800 per square meter. Worse, the Vermosa Commercial Lots along Daang Hari Road experienced the highest increase in property values in the city, soaring by an unprecedented 2,300%, from Php 900 per square meter in 2011 to Php 21,600 in 2024.

New developments by Ayala and other property developers in these areas have led to more than tenfold increases in property values, but many residents argue that these hikes are arbitrary and disconnected from the realities of everyday life in the city. Citywide, property values have generally increased by 300% to over 1,000%, affecting both residential and commercial properties alike.

As a result, residents are now facing higher amilyar rates. For instance, some homeowners in residential areas with 100-square-meter properties now pay three times their previous tax bills. Property taxes are calculated by multiplying the market value of the land by the assessment level set by the local government, which means that as property values rise, so too do the taxes owed. With this, many argue that this kind of increase is not only unjust but inhumane especially since it places an overwhelming financial strain on ordinary citizens in Imus.

"Parang pinipiga na kami ng buhay, tapos ngayon pati buwis sa lupa (amilyar), times three na ang taas. Ano na ang magyayari sa maliliit na pamilya na gaya namin?" said one of the property owners in Imus.

While local officials defend the increased property tax rates as a necessary step to reflect the booming real estate market in Imus, residents argue that the rapid surge in taxes is disproportionate to their incomes and quality of life. “Huwag nilang gawing negosyo ang mga buhay namin. Pati ba naman mga maliliit na pamilya, pinapahirapan nila. Hindi na makatarungan!” said a sari-sari store owner.

“This is pure greed disguised as governance,” said one frustrated homeowner.

“Our local officials are treating Imus like a cash cow, squeezing residents to fund who-knows-what,” a netizen said.

“The local government is prioritizing housing developer profits over its own people,” said one property owner.

With the public outcry continuing to grow, many residents are calling for a review of the new amilyar rates, urging local officials to reconsider the scale of these increases in order to make property taxes more equitable and manageable for the residents of Imus.