• CHERYL G. CRUZ
A special business permit is being eyed for small-scale businesses, including street vending, home-based businesses, sari-sari stores, and ambulant vendors or peddlers in Bacolod City.
The proposed ordinance, authored by Councilor Jude Thaddeus Sayson and approved on first reading by the Sangguniang Panlungsod March 12, said there is need to establish a special business permit (SBP) that allows small-scale businesses to operate legally under simplified registration requirements while ensuring regulatory compliance and fair revenue collection.
Sayson noted that many small-scale entrepreneurs “struggle to secure business permits due to extensive requirements, leading to non-compliance and lost revenue for the city government.”
But the issuance of an SBP “shall not be construed as granting ownership, tenancy, or any legal right over the land, structure, or location where the business is being conducted.”
The city government also has the right to revoke or deny renewal of the SBP if the business is found to be operating on land where the owner or government prohibits such activities, the proposal said.
Section 3 of the proposal states that applicants must submit to the Business Permits and Licensing Office (BPLO) a duly accomplished application form, barangay certification confirming the existence of the business, valid government-issued ID, community tax certificate (cedula) or any proof of residence, picture of the place of business, sanitary permit, health certificate, and if an ambulant vendor or peddler, identification card and certification pursuant to City Ordinance No. 1009, which regulates vending in Bacolod.
A processing fee of P1,000 shall be charged in the issuance of the SBP that is non-transferable and shall be valid for one year and must be renewed annually, the proposal states. | CGC
