Mayor seeks Jan. 31 permit renewal extension

By Rjay Zuriaga Castor

Iloilo City Mayor Raisa S. Treñas-Chu is seeking to extend the deadline for business permit renewals to Jan. 31 to give business owners more time to process documents at the start of the year.

The city government announced Monday, Jan. 5, that the mayor is endorsing a measure to the City Council to amend Tax Ordinance No. 2007-016, also known as the Local Revenue Code of Iloilo City.

Under the existing ordinance, the penalty-free renewal period for business permits ends Jan. 20.

The proposed amendment would allow businesses to renew permits without penalties until the end of January.

The City Council is set to hold its first regular session for 2026 on Wednesday, Jan. 7.

Treñas-Chu cited several reasons for the proposed extension, including recent work suspensions in government offices that reduced the number of processing days.

These suspensions were ordered under Memorandum Circular No. 111 from the Office of the President.

The memorandum suspended work in government offices on Dec. 29, 2025, and Jan. 2, 2026, to allow employees to fully observe the New Year holidays and ease travel congestion.

The mayor also pointed to ongoing preparations by local business owners for the 2026 Dinagyang Festival, which she said has limited the time they can allocate to permit renewals.

Despite the proposed extension, Treñas-Chu urged business owners to complete their renewals on or before Jan. 31.

Under the local tax ordinance, renewals made beyond the deadline are subject to a 25 percent surcharge and a 2 percent monthly interest.

Business permit renewal follows three steps: submission of requirements, payment of fees, and release of the renewed permit.

Applications may be filed through the iBPLS online system or at Electronic Business One Stop Shop sites at Iloilo City Hall, Iloilo City Business Center, SM City Iloilo, Festive Mall, Marymart Mall, and The Atrium.