An initial 7,531 business establishments have registered in the first week of operations of the city government’s Business One-Stop-Shop amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
Records of the Bacolod Permits and License Office as of Jan. 8 showed that these businesses, including those that registered in advance starting Nov. 15, 2020, are already equivalent to 31 percent of last year’s total registration of 23,545.
Mayor Evelio Leonardia said the figure indicates business confidence in the city remains high despite the effects of the Covid-19.
Leonardia said last year’s total business registration of 23,545 was way beyond expectation amid the health crisis.
In 2020, registration decreased by only 8 percent from the 25,637 total business registrants the previous year when the projection was actually a drop of 20 percent to 30 percent, he said.
“We can expect that after this crisis, we can restore the vibrancy of the economy,” he said, adding this proves the resiliency of Bacolod in view of its “business-friendly” policies.
For the first time, the city government brought the BOSS outside the Government Center, and now holds operations on the fourth floor of the Ayala Malls Capitol Central.
The facility, which is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. from Mondays to Fridays, caters to applications and renewals of business permits until March 31.
BPLO head Stela Rose Rayos said they now accommodate up to 300 clients a day, but they are planning to increase the daily capacity soon to 500 clients.
Under the “no appointment, no transaction” policy, clients must first secure an appointment before applying for or renewing their business permits by logging in to the Bacolod City government website, https://ols3.bacolodcity.gov.ph.
For offline/walk-in appointments, applicants may visit the BPLO on the ground floor of the Bacolod City Government Center or the BOSS help desk at the Ayala Malls Capitol Central.
From Jan. 4 to March 31, applicants for business permits are entitled to avail of a 10-percent discount if they pay their regulatory fees in advance for the whole year. – NLG
