Bacolod shuts 19 businesses in permit crackdown

By Glazyl M. Jopson

BACOLOD CITY — The city government has warned operators of unregistered businesses that local regulations apply to all enterprises, regardless of their prominence or size.

The city urged operators to immediately formalize their businesses and settle their obligations at the Bacolod City Government Center.

The warning came after several commercial establishments operating without proper permits were shut down as part of the city’s campaign to ensure a fair economic environment for law-abiding business owners.

A joint task force composed of the City Legal Office, Business Permits and Licensing Office, Bacolod Environment and Natural Resources Office, and Bacolod Traffic and Transport Management Department began serving closure orders on 50 delinquent businesses across the city on July 16.

Of the 50 businesses, 19 establishments and retail stalls were closed, primarily at a shopping mall in the Upper East area and around the Villa Angela East Block and Marketplace.

The task force also shut down a well-known grocery store and a major home improvement retailer in the area for lacking the required permits.

The crackdown continued July 17 when the task force closed a popular restaurant-bar along B.S. Aquino Drive.

The establishment had continued operating without the required permits despite receiving two consecutive notices to process its documents.

The enforcement action followed a grace period after notices to comply were first issued to the establishments beginning May 29.

Business owners were given about a month and a half to process their documents before closure orders were implemented under Section 65, Article 20 of City Ordinance No. 565, series of 2011, or the Revised Revenue Code of Bacolod City.

City Legal Officer Karol Joseph Chiu said the initiative aims to level the playing field so honest, tax-paying entrepreneurs do not face unfair competition from businesses that evade their civic obligations.

While legal action and closures will continue against violators, the city is prepared to assist entrepreneurs who are willing to comply.

“There’s no such thing as an instant closure,” Chiu said.

Mayor Greg Gasataya recently issued Executive Order No. 81, establishing the Bacolod Business Investment Assistance Desk to help business owners and investors address requirements involving business permits, occupancy permits, zoning, and other local regulations.

Nine previously closed establishments were allowed to reopen July 17 after their owners signed formal undertakings to comply with the city’s requirements.

The establishments were given a 15-day grace period to continue retail operations while completing their permits with assistance from the newly established desk.

The assistance desk builds on the city’s Business One-Stop Shop, which was established to streamline business registration and renewal by bringing participating offices and services together at the government center.

Business Permits and Licensing Office records showed that 24,912 businesses were registered in Bacolod in 2025.

The City Legal Office and Business Permits and Licensing Office will continue serving the remaining closure orders in the coming days.