City Mayor John Geesnell “BABA” Yap congratulated the participants in the Business Permits and Licensing Office (BPLO) streamlining workshopconducted by USAID-SURGE Consultants Mary Penetrante and Amy Castigador this week, September 6 to 9, 2016. The goals of the training workshop which was attended by the heads and representatives from the City Government led by BPLO Samuel Belderol, City Engineer PianicitaCastolo, OBO Engr. Ted Estoque, Engr. Gina Inting, City ICT Head Charles Borja, City Planning and Development Office Engr. Estella Margate, Engr. FulSabijon, Engr. ZandroFulgencio,City DILG MardonioRoxas, Former City CouncilorBebenInting, City Fire Marshall Raul Bustalino, City Treasurer Gilbert Trajano and Revenue Generation ConsultantPrimitivaOntong, are to design streamlined business permitting process for new business and renewals which would surpass the Joint Memorandum Circular 2 set forth by the DILG, tighten the process of the inspection, identify the needed automation issues required to facilitate the streamlined business permitting and adopt the unified form.

Penetrante and Castigador conducted an intensive assessment in the current process and engaged the participants in a discussion which dissected the permitting process and cut the transaction time from 14 steps to 3 for both new business and renewals. Mayor Yap ensured that the new process would not only be useful to business investors but productive and meaningful for the local government unit as well. “USAID has already laid down the mechanisms for us; all we have to do is to make it work. I am optimistic that there’ll be meaningful changes which will transpire in the City in the years to come, given the various interventions the USAID provided. Our infrastructure projects and intensified social services will be more effective synergized with these relevant mechanisms.” Former City CouncilorBebenIntingsaid that with these streamlined process, the business permitting applications in Tagbilaran will continue to experience exponential growth.

Currently, Tagbilaran City has a 7.8% annual growth rate, with 3,682 business permit applications in 2013 to 4,617 in 2016, averaging a 25% increase in the number of applicants in a span of three years. Obviously, the City Government would experience further increase in business applications as soon as these streamlined mechanisms would be put in place, translating to an increased local income. USAID-SURGE Tagbilaran City Coordinator Linda Paredes encouraged everybody to do their part and make the necessary changes. The proposed streamlined business process is still subject for further study and fine-tuning by a Technical Working Group which will be created by the City Mayor.