BY ADRIAN P. NEMES III
Despite the ongoing pandemic, business registration in Bacolod City is already 70.3 percent of last year’s record.
Permits and Licensing Division head Stela Rose Rayos told the DAILY STAR that, as of Feb. 13, there were 16,556 business registrations at the ongoing Business One-Stop-Shop (BOSS).
Earlier, the Business Permit and Licensing Office reported that business registration in Bacolod City last year totaled 23,545, or 2,092 lower than that of the 2019 record of 25,637 registered businesses.
Mayor Evelio Leonardia had said that the continuous increase in business registration this year shows that business confidence in Bacolod remains high despite the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic, adding that it is way beyond their expectations.
Leonardia admitted that the city government had expected a much lower business registration turnout in 2020, and thought that the decrease will be at least 20 percent to 30 percent.
He said this proves the resiliency of Bacolod in view of its “business-friendly” policies.
Businessmen still have more than a month to register their business, or until March 31, at the 4th floor of the Ayala Malls Capitol Central.
Business registration is from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Mondays to Fridays. Applicants who pay their regulatory fees in advance, covering the whole year, are entitled to a 10-percent discounts, provided they do so before the March 31 deadline.
Rayos said they accommodate up to 500 clients a day, and the “no appointment, no transaction” policy is being implemented to control the number of applicants.
Applicants may set an online appointment through https://ols3.bacolodcity.gov.ph, or may go directly to the mall.
Participating in the BOSS for clearances are the 61 barangays, the City Health Office, City Planning and Development Office Zoning Division, Office of the Building Official, Environment and Natural Resources Office, City Tourism Office, City Cooperative and Livelihood Development Office, City Department of Agriculture, City Veterinary Office, and the Bureau of Fire Protection. National agencies like Pag-IBIG and the Securities and Exchange Commission are also joining, and their booths are located at the ground floor of the mall.*
