PERMIT OR PADLOCK: Automatic closure for businesses with no permit by Jan 21

By Emme Rose Santiagudo

All business establishments in Iloilo that lack valid business permits by January 21, 2020 will face automatic closure.

This was the stern warning issued by Mayor Jerry Treñas on Monday.

“Kon wala sila permits ipasira ta gid sila and we will no longer issue permits to them. Kon wala ma-renew, closed na dayon sila,” he said in an interview on Monday.

The Business Permit and Licensing Office (BPLO) has set the deadline for the application for renewal of permits in Iloilo City on January 20.

“There will be no extension of the deadline,” BPLO head Norman Tabud stressed.

The mayor said he will personally inspect and check the compliance of business establishments in the city.

“Aside sa BPLO, we have organized a task force para mag-check and ako mismo malibot sa mga establishments kon may mga permits sila or wala,” he stressed.

Treñas ordered the inspection of all business establishments operating in Iloilo City starting Jan. 21.

In Memorandum Order No. 19-223, Treñas directed the BPLO, Bureau of Fire and Protection (BFP), the City Tourism and Development Office (CTDO), and the City Treasurer’s Office (CTO) to conduct the joint inspections to ensure that business establishments comply with the requirements of the city.

“Indi na ko ya magtugot. No one can just operate here with impunity and disregard all our ordinances without applying for a permit in the city of Iloilo,” he stressed.

Recently, the city government discovered that Manila-based Malabanan Siphoning Service was doing business in the city without the necessary permits.