by Gracelda D. Pagaran

Davao City (19 January) -- RDO No. 113 has collected a whooping P 3,072,839,965.47 for the year 2004 surpassing its collection goal of P 3,035,800,000.00 by as much as P 37,039,965.47 and P 289,820,358.82 over the collection for 2003.

The overall collection could have been boosted to as much as P 3,105,547,612.17 had the Tax Debit Memo (TDM) amounting to P 32,707,646.70 been included and the Tax Remittance Advice (TRA) amounting to P 81,608,880.63 not been allocated to the district offices having jurisdiction over the taxpayers concerned.

The premier district of Revenue region 19 has been consistent the past three years in its collection performance having exceeded collection goals from 2001-2004. At the helm is the indefatigable RDO Evelyn Sardido who celebrated her 50th birthday on Jan. 12.

Sardido has not ceased to amaze people both in and out of the bureau for having performed this feat few RDO’s in the country are able to achieve. She attributes this to the hard-working men and women of RDO 113 and its valued taxpayers who have remained loyal partners in nation-building for all seasons.

“Had it not been for the consistent and able support of my men and the unwavering support of our esteemed taxpayers, collecting billions for the government in 12-months-time is indeed a very tough order considering the very tough times our economy is going through”, the tough lady RDO herself, explains.

Sardido wishes to thank her people at the district office not only for a job truly well done but for their continued support for her collection programs and activities that made all achievements of RD 113 possible. But things could have been different had the taxpayers in Davao not rallied behind their RDO.

The lady executive anticipates a tougher collection year for RD 113 but as always the lady never complains neither is she sitting on her laurels but her achievements in the preceding years serve only as stepping stones for larger achievements for her district office.