BY ADRIAN P. NEMES III
Business registration in Bacolod City dropped by at least eight percent last year compared to 2019, Stela Rose Rayos, head of the Business Permits and Licensing Office confirmed to the DAILY STAR yesterday.
BPLO records showed that there were 25,637 registered businesses in Bacolod in 2019, and only 23,545 last year, or a reduction of 2,092, Rayos said.
She said the current pandemic is among the major driving forces in the decrease in the number of business registration in the city since many establishments were forced to shut down, while others have not resumed operations since the lockdowns were first implemented in March.
Meanwhile, 6,813 businesses have registered and renewed permits on the first two days of the ongoing Bacolod Business One-Stop-Shop (BOSS) at the Ayala Malls Capitol Central that will run until March 31.
Rayos said they can only accommodate 300 clients a day because they sometimes have internet issues and also have to adhere to the social distancing health protocol being strictly implemented in the mall.
She assured, however, that once the internet connection is fixed next week, they will try to accommodate at least 500 clients a day.
Rayos said that they are still implementing the “no appointment, no transaction” policy in the application for or renewal of business permits.
To secure an online appointment, clients are advised to log in to https://ols3.bacolodcity.gov.ph/ while walk-in applicants may directly set an appointment at the BPLO, or at the city booth located at the ground floor of Ayala Malls Capitol Central.
Representatives from the Bureau of Fire Protection are at the ground floor of the mall while the tables of other government offices are at the fourth floor.
Mayor Evelio Leonardia had issued an executive order instructing all barangays of Bacolod to participate in the 2021 BOSS and that all barangays, through their captains, shall install or set up their own offsite tables at the mall.
Leonardia also instructed the barangay captains to assign at least two personnel, who shall be responsible for the issuance of barangay clearances that are required for the processing of business permits.
The Bacolod Anti-Red Tape Core team started monitoring yesterday the attendance of the barangay representatives at the BOSS.
Executive assistant Sammy Montoyo, a member of the team, said in a radio interview that barangay captains who refuse to join the BOSS may face sanctions. Montoyo also reminded the representatives of government agencies participating in the BOSS to adhere to the “No Lunch Break” policy.*
