Manila:Cities and municipalities across the Philippines have been instructed to establish dedicated Business Permits and Licensing Offices (BPLOs) and permanent licensing positions. This initiative aims to simplify business transactions, attract investments, and bolster local economies, as announced by the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) on Tuesday.
According to Philippines News agency, the DILG highlighted that a dedicated BPLO functions as a centralized hub for business permit issuance, establishment inspections, payment processing, and local revenue collection. This setup is designed to help businesses navigate government requirements more efficiently. Under DILG Memorandum Circular No. 2026-055, the department emphasized the importance of institutionalizing business permitting and licensing services, acknowledging the business sector's crucial role in local revenue generation and economic development.
As of June 2026, 1,174 cities and municipalities, representing 75.53 percent, have already established BPLOs. However, only 360, or 23.47 percent, have created plantilla positions for business permit and licensing officers, highlighting the need for local government units (LGUs) to enhance their capacity to provide efficient and reliable services. The establishment of BPLOs and corresponding plantilla positions can be achieved through ordinances passed by city and municipal governments, in accordance with Republic Act No. 7160 and subject to available funds and Department of Budget and Management (DBM) and Civil Service Commission (CSC) regulations.
This initiative also aligns with Republic Act No. 11032, known as the Ease of Doing Business and Efficient Government Service Delivery Act of 2018, supporting President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.'s agenda to streamline government transactions and promote local economic growth. The DILG underscored the importance of strengthening local business permitting systems to foster a business-friendly environment.
In a separate development, Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Gen. Jose Melencio C. Nartatez Jr. has directed police units to intensify efforts against the proliferation of fake identification cards for persons with disabilities (PWDs). The Department of Justice (DOJ) raised concerns about the significant gap between the number of registered PWDs and those using PWD IDs to access benefits. Currently, only 2.8 million individuals are registered as PWDs, while approximately 8.5 million people are using PWD IDs, resulting in a discrepancy of about 5.7 million. Nartatez expects police units, particularly the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) and the Anti-Cybercrime Group (ACG), to investigate the illegal production and distribution of fake PWD IDs.
