SAN JOSE, Antique – The municipal governments of Barbaza and Tibiao in Antique province have adopted the electronic Business Permit Licensing System (eBPLS) in their quest to become more business friendly and competitive.
The system, which is in response to President Rodrigo Duterte’s directive to reduce the requirements and processing time of all government transactions through the Ease of Doing Business Law or RA 11032, was launched recently by the two local government units.
Provincial director Cherryl Tacda of the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) lauded the undertaking of these two municipalities for successfully launching the eBPLS.
“The full implementation of the program will facilitate the fast issuance of business permits which will be convenient for the business owners,’’ she said.
Jimuel Espanola, Department Information and Communications Technology (DICT) eBPLS focal person, noted that Barbaza is the 6th municipality in the province to automate their business permit licensing system, next to Tibiao, and the 9th municipality to launch the program in Region 6.
“To date, six LGUs in Antique namely Pandan, Laua-an, Belison, Tobias Fornier, Tibiao and Barbaza have already launched their eBPLS,” said DILG Antique program manager Anna Carolina Jardiolin.
Partner agencies likewise commended the initiative of these municipalities noting the importance and impact of eBPLS in economic growth and development of the LGUs.
Information officer Judy Mae Sajo, in a press release, explained that the eBPLS is a cloud-based software developed by the DICT that allows end-users to file an application for new and renewal of business permits online.
The launching program was attended by the representatives from DILG, DICT, Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), Bureau of Fire Protection, Philippine National Police, municipal officials, functionaries and other stakeholders.
The automation of the BPLS is a joint undertaking of DILG, DTI and DICT as reflected on the revised BPLS standards in processing business permits and licenses as per DILG-DTI-DICT JMC 01 series of 2016 and the guidelines in streamlining the processes for the issuance of building permits and certificates of occupancy stated in DILG-DTI-DICT JMC 01 series of 2018.
More LGUs are expected to automate their BPLS within the year. (DILG/JSC/PIA Antique)
