Six business establishments in Bacolod City were shut down on Friday, with 37 more slated for closure starting Monday, for operating without business permits.
The closures are being carried out by the Business Permits and Licensing Office (BPLO) in coordination with the City Legal Office (CLO).
BPLO head Stela Rose Rayos said the establishments closed on Friday included a department store and a cake shop in Barangay 15, a dressed chicken plant in Barangay 31, a chicken restaurant and a salon in Barangay 13, and a boarding house in Barangay 17.
They were all found to be in violation of Section 65, Article 20 of City Ordinance No. 565, which is the Revised Revenue Code of Bacolod City.
Rayos said all six establishments had received notices before the closure orders were issued.
The BPLO submitted a list of nearly 100 businesses operating without permits to the CLO, which then released a list of 43 establishments to be closed starting Friday, she said.
She said that upon receiving a second “Notice of Violation and Closure,” businesses must voluntarily suspend operations and comply with the requirements within 15 days while they await the issuance of a Mayor’s Permit.
The closed businesses will be allowed to reopen once they have secured their business permits.
Owners and representatives of the closed establishments were also “sternly warned” against resuming operations without the proper permits, as they could face additional sanctions.
The BPLO and CLO teams are scheduled to continue enforcing more closure orders.*