APPLICATION FOR BUSINESS PERMIT RENEWAL INCREASES AS IT IS REACHING THE DEADLINE IN LGU BUTUAN
BUTUAN CITY – The deadline for application for Business Permit renewal of business establishments has officially closed on January 20, 2020, at midnight.
As the deadline came to a close, an influx of business owners rushed to apply for Business Permit renewal to catch up with the last day of application.
There are also owners of soon-to-open businesses applied for the said permit despite the additional fee of 25% surcharge.
“Mao gyud na magkuha mi ug business permit. Tumanon jud namo. Pinaltihan [kung dili mutuman],” said Darlina Barriga, sari-sari store owner.
(We comply with the required Business Permit because there’s a penalty if we don’t.)
Aida Monterola Batak, resident of Baan Km. 3, one of the applicants who is just helping the business owners in their barangay even though she doesn’t own a business herself.
“Intawn ang akong gitabangan wala man jud panahon kay kadaghan ma-challenge ko ug tabang kay kana jud dili kwartahan nga angay tabangan,” Aida said.
(Most of those who asked for my help that’s quite challenging for me, are those who are financially constrained.)
Meanwhile, Atty. Moshi Cahoy, Chief of Business and Licensing Office at City Hall, clarifies the matter regarding the issuance of Certificate of Occupancy for those who are renting a commercial building, due to several business owners complaining that it doubles their expenses.
“Naa man gud tay gitawag na Certificate of Occupancy sa tibuok nga building nga atong giabangan. Pero kung mag-introduce na kita ug renovation sa atong space nga giabangan kinahanglan pud kining lukatan or kuhaan ug Certificate of Occupancy sa atong Office of the Building Official. Sila’y mag-determina kung ni-pasar ba kini sa standard nga stong gi-set sa national law na National Building Code.”
(We have, what we call Certificate of Occupancy for the whole building that we are renting. But if we introduce renovations in the renting space, we still need to obtain the said certificate from the Office of the Building Officials, which determines whether it passes the standards of the National Building Code.)
He explains the basis of the requirements is the Joint Memorandum circular #1 Series of 2016, which has implemented by Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG), Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), and Department of Information and Communication (DICT), in compliance with the National Building Code.
“Muabang sila sa usa ka space unya sa original na gitawag ug As-Built plan sa atong mga engineer or plano, wala jud siyay giutro unya naa na silay Certificate of Occupancy daan. Dili na kinahanglan nga maglukat pa sila ug certificate of Occupancy kung wala kini renovations na nahitabo. ”
(If they did not change anything from the As-Built plan of the building that they are renting, and if that building already has Certificate of Occupancy, then there’s no need to apply for the said certificate.)
In the data from the City Business Permits Licensing Division, as of the deadline, there are 9,600 applications for renewal and 577 applicants for a new business permit.
Days after the scheduled cutoff, the number of applications as of January 22, 2020, climbs up to 10,031 for renewal and 747 for the new one.
The numbers are expected to rise in the coming days as the said department is still accepting applicants.