Fifty-seven of 67 business establishments inspected in downtown Bacolod City have no business permits.
This was revealed on the “Isugid Mo kay Mayor” radio program of Bacolod Mayor Alfredo Abelardo Benitez aired on FMR Bacolod 91.1 on Sunday, February 11.
The establishments with no business permits are located at Doña Mauela Building’s Bargain Square Mall and the Plaza Mart.
The lack of business permits was discovered after an establishment at Bargain Square Mall was caught making fake business permits, it was disclosed.
Benitez said commercial building owners should require all those renting space from them to have business permits.
The mayor also urged residents to check if business establishments they visit have real business permits by scanning the QR codes on them. If they discover that the permits are fake, he is urging residents to report the matter to the City Legal Office, Benitez said.
The mayor also said he is creating a mapping team to intensify the monitoring of business permits in all establishments in Bacolod to be headed by City Legal Officer Romeo Carlos Ting.
Notices will be sent to owners of commercial buildings to ensure that their tenants are compliant with the law, he said.*