Laoag city: The city government here reported a significant 12.54 percent increase in local revenue collection, generating an additional PHP182.5 million from July 2025 to June 2026. Mayor James Bryan Alcid reported this during his first State of the City Address at Laoag City Centennial Arena in Ilocos Norte on Monday.

According to Philippines News Agency, Alcid highlighted that Laoag City has flourished under his administration with a substantial boost in revenue collection. He attributed this success to the strengthening of the Business Processing and Licensing Office, which is now a department under the city government, focusing on the collection of business taxes. This increase in revenue is expected to provide the city government with additional fiscal resources to enhance public services, infrastructure, and programs for the residents.

The 12-month collection period demonstrated a significant rise in Laoag's locally generated revenues, which grew to PHP1,440,311,847.42 billion, compared with the preceding year's PHP1,259,626,659.73 billion. City Treasurer Loelyn Bajado-Acain noted that a stronger revenue base offers greater flexibility in addressing emerging needs while sustaining ongoing programs.

Bajado-Acain further explained that the top revenue sources for the city are business tax and real property tax. She emphasized the importance of enforcing document submission during business renewals and ongoing fieldwork for the tax campaign, including reviewing revenue ordinances for strict enforcement.