Imus residents protest soaring property tax rates as city market value changes

Imus City, Cavite, faces a sudden real property tax increase of 2,300% (previously 300%) following the revision of land property values, which took effect on January 1, 2024, triggering a tax hike that many homeowners have criticized as excessive.  

The spike in “amilyar” or property tax can be attributed to the 2023 ordinance of Sangguniang Panlungsod ng Imus Ordinance No. 05-230. This allowed the large-scale revision of the Schedule of Fair Market Value (SFMV) of land properties in Imus. under the administration of Mayor Alex Advincula, who started his governmental term in 2022.

Property tax inflation has been implemented with residential complaints from many Imus residents scrutinizing the inflated land property charges, marking it as expensive, unjust, and burdensome.

With five Imus areas, Vermosa Commercial Lots on Daang Hari Road saw a 2,300% increase and an estimated market price of ₱21,600 per square meter in 2024 from ₱900 per square meter in 2011, deeming it the highest market value change in the city.

Followed by the Malagasang-Bucandala-Alapan Bypass and New Imus Boulevard areas with a 2,000% increase and an estimated market price of ₱16,800 in 2024 from ₱800 per square meter in 2011.

The least were the areas in Bucandala-Alapan Road and Advincula Avenue, which had an increase of 1,375% and an estimated market price of ₱11,800 per square meter in 2024.

Real property tax across the Imus region has also been elevated to 1,000% from 300%, which could affect residential and commercial land properties, with several homeowners reportedly paying a triple for their 100-square-meter properties in contrast to the original tax before the market value change in the city. 

Schedule of Fair Market Value (SFMV) is an outline legislated by the Philippine LGU that lists all the estimated market charges for different real properties such as lands, machinery, and infrastructure. On September 19, 2023, the Sangguniang Panlungsod of Imus held a public hearing addressing the market value changes in real properties implemented on January 1, 2024.