If you have ever waited in line at Bislig City Hall to renew a business permit, two recent actions of the Sangguniang Panlungsod are aimed at that experience. One adds permanent staff to the office that issues permits. The other asks for a status report on paying business taxes and fees online.

Nine new positions in the permit office

Ordinance No. 2026-19, enacted on July 27, 2026, during the council's 54th regular session and approved by Mayor Florencio C. Garay on August 20, 2026, creates new plantilla (permanent) positions in the Business Permit and Licensing Division (BPLD) under the City Administrator's Office. It was sponsored by Councilors Romeo F. Cacayan, Jonas A. Cacayan, Alfredo J. Carmelo and Florio S. Josafat Jr., and Vice Mayor Conrad C. Cejoco.

The ordinance creates nine posts:

  • 1 Licensing Officer IV (Salary Grade 22), as division chief
  • 1 Licensing Officer II (SG 15), as head of the franchising section
  • 1 Licensing Officer II (SG 15), as head of the administrative section
  • 1 Administrative Officer I, records officer (SG 10)
  • 3 Administrative Aide IV, clerks (SG 4)
  • 1 Administrative Aide III, utility worker (SG 3)
  • 1 Administrative Aide III, driver (SG 3)

The ordinance says all appointments will be permanent. The division chief needs a relevant bachelor's degree, three years of relevant experience and career service professional (second level) eligibility.

Why the city says it needs them

The ordinance states that the current organizational structure has too few positions dedicated to the BPLD, which it says limits the office's ability to comply with the Ease of Doing Business and Efficient Government Service Delivery Act of 2018 (Republic Act No. 11032). That law requires local governments to streamline permit processing and to set up a Business One-Stop Shop.

It also cites Joint Memorandum Circular No. 01, series of 2021, from the DILG, DTI and the Anti-Red Tape Authority, which calls for a functional permit office with enough staff, as well as Bislig's own City Ordinance No. 2011-01, which created the city's Business Permit and Licensing System and its one-stop shop.

According to the ordinance, the number of businesses in Bislig, stricter regulations and more monitoring work mean the existing staff's workload "has significantly expanded beyond capacity." Among the stated goals are faster turnaround on permit applications, better records management and more regular inspections of business establishments.

Some of the new jobs face the public directly. One of the clerk posts is assigned to a customer assistance desk that answers questions, handles complaints and checks documentary requirements before applications are filed. The driver post is meant to take inspection teams to business sites.

Online payments: the council asks for an update

Separately, Resolution No. 2026-701, authored by Councilor Bernadeth May R. Almanon-Balondo and adopted on August 18, 2026, asks Acting City Treasurer Romeo T. Lapatha Jr. to report to the council on the status of online payment for regulatory fees, business taxes and real property tax under the city's e-LGU system.

The resolution says the city "has been implementing the e-LGU system" to modernize revenue collection, shorten queues and reduce physical contact. It asks for an update on progress, accomplishments and problems so the council can check that the e-payment system is "fully functional, accessible to all taxpayers and stakeholders."

What business owners should know

The ordinance creates the positions, but they still have to be filled through the usual civil service hiring process, and the ordinance does not give a timetable. The treasurer's report on online payments has not been published. Bislig Today found no public notice from the city, as of October 29, 2026, listing which permits or taxes can currently be paid fully online.

Until the city says otherwise, business owners renewing permits should check requirements and payment options directly with the BPLD and the City Treasurer's Office at City Hall.

Sources: City of Bislig, Ordinance No. 2026-19 (enacted July 27, 2026; approved August 20, 2026) and Sangguniang Panlungsod Resolution No. 2026-701 (August 18, 2026), published at bislig.gov.ph; Republic Act No. 11032.