As seen on BIR’s Official FB – The Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) officially launched the Visayas leg of its 2026 Regional Tax Campaign on Friday, March 6, in Cebu City, gathering more than 1,600 attendees including BIR officials and personnel, stakeholders, and partners.

The event brought together participants from Revenue Region No. 11 (Western Visayas), Revenue Region No. 12 (Negros Island Region), Revenue Region No. 13 (Central Visayas), and Revenue Region No. 14 (Eastern Visayas), reinforcing a unified call for stronger tax awareness and voluntary compliance across the Visayas.

Cebu Governor Pamela Baricuatro delivered a message lauding the BIR for its continued efforts to make tax compliance easier and more convenient for Cebuanos.

“Every peso of public funds must be spent carefully, responsibly, and always for the benefit of the people. We must believe that the taxes paid by our people must always go back to them through better healthcare, stronger communities, and meaningful public services,” she said.

BIR Commissioner Charlito R. Mendoza, meanwhile, described Cebu and the Visayas as a tourism hub, an educational center, and an economic powerhouse. Having previously served as Customs District Collector at the Port of Cebu, he shared that the region holds a special place in his heart.

Highlighting the Visayas’ contribution to the national economy, Mendoza noted that the combined economic output of Western Visayas, the Negros Island Region, Central Visayas, and Eastern Visayas reached ₱3.7 trillion in 2024.

“Put another way, for every six pesos of wealth created in the Philippines that year, one peso came from these four regions,” Mendoza said, emphasizing the role of Visayan businesses, workers, and taxpayers in driving economic growth.

He added that public services funded through the national budget rely on the taxes paid by citizens.

“These resources come from the people, and the BIR has a duty to collect them fairly, properly, and with integrity so they can be returned to you through public service,” he said.

Similar cluster kickoffs will also commence in North Luzon this March as part of the nationwide rollout of the BIR’s 2026 Tax Campaign.