QUEZON CITY, Philippines - Quezon City's Socialized Housing Tax Ordinance (SHTO) has passed third and final reading in the city council on Monday.

Mayor Herbert Bautista is expected to sign the new ordinance on Tuesday, and it will be fully implemented by January of 2012.

In a press conference Monday morning, city councilors led by Vice-Mayor Joy Belmonte defended the SHTO, which will impose an additional 0.5% tax on land owners in quezon city.

Only homeowners with city-assesed real property values exceeding P100,000 will be covered by the new tax.

Belmonte said the ordinance is just and necessary to give informal settler families a better quality of life, which in turn will spur further development in the city.

"We are appealing to the compassion of our homeowners na sana magbigay tayo ng konti para ang ating mga kapatid na hindi nagkakaroon ng oportunidad na magkaroon ng disenteng tahanan, na magkaroon din ng pagkakataong ito," said Belmonte.

The city council said that the new tax will only be implemented for 5 years. Those who will pay religiously will be given a staggered tax rebate starting on the sixth year.

However, many home owners in Quezon City are not convinced.

They insist that there is no reason to burden the public with new taxes, since the local government can get the money for the project elsewhere, like securing loans from banks.

Jordan Tolentino, president of the Alliance of Quezon City Homeowners Associations Incorporated (AQCHAI), said their protests will continue.

"Iniisip namin magsimula ng people's initiative, kung saan yung mga members namin at yung mga taxpayers na gustong sumuporta, papapirmahin namin sa manifesto para mapressure yung lokal na pamahalaan na wag ipatupad yung ordinansa kahit napirmahan na ito ng mayor," said Tolentino.

The group also plans to challenge the ordinance in court.