Business permit processing on

The city’s economic environment is slowly picking up even with a reported increase in Covid-19 cases, as masked-up business permit applicants with required documents line up one meter apart, at the City Treasurer’s Office (CTO).

The nearby Baguio Central School grounds is also designated as an additional area for working and business permit processing; so as to adhere to physical distancing between employees and applicants.  

Data from the City Treasurer’s Office show that from Jan. 4 up to the 20th, there are at least 2,300 application and business permit renewals processed.

With seven more working days to the end of January, the number is nearly half the number of permits processed four years ago. 

Past records show that in pre-pandemic years; there were 6,412 permits processed in January 2018; 7,137 in January 2019; and in January 2020 before the Covid-19 global pandemic started in March 2020, 8,302 business permits were approved.

Last year, Jan. 2021; 5,321 business permits that went through the Permits and Licensing Division (PLD) Office and City Treasurer’s Office.

For proper scheduling, and as was done in the past years, applications for those with family names starting with A to H are in January; I to P in February; and Q to Z and special names in March.

As per instruction from Mayor Benjamin Magalong, City Treasurer Alex Cabarubias and PLD head Alan Abayao may request for an extension of business permit processing if needed. This may be due to an increase of infections in applicants or of employees; being in quarantine or isolation as they are exposed or a close contact of an infected member of their family or workmate.

Business permit applications are ongoing office hours, during regular working days. – Julie G. Fianza