By Aldwin Quitasol
BAGUIO CITY ? The City Buildings and Architecture Office (CBAO) here is pilot-testing an online application system for business and occupancy permits to speed up the issuance of the said permits to building owners.
CBAO official Nazita F. Ba?ez said that while application forms for building and occupancy permits are now downloadable in the website of the city government, the electronic processing is still on an experimental basis in anticipation of the possible glitches that may arise.
The pilot-testing is in compliance to Joint Memorandum Circular No. 2018-01 of the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG), Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), Department of Information and Communication Technology (DICT) and the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) to streamline the process in securing building permits and certificates of occupancy.
?An electronic kiosk is now being designed to ensure the compliance of the office to the Anti-Red Tape Act of 2007. This will definitely lessen the interaction of personnel and clients in their application for permits thus significantly reducing corruption, among other issues,? Ba?ez stressed.
The pilot testing of the electronic application is also in line with the city government?s efforts to embrace the use of information and communication technology in the delivery of basic services to the people of the city.
The city government earlier computerized the issuance of business permits through the electronic business permits and licensing system. This paved the way for easier processing and issuance of the permits as well as the computation of various types of taxes.
Outgoing Baguio City mayor Mauricio Domogan cited the CBAO for the pilot-test, saying the faster processing and issuance of the permits will help in improving the trust and confidence of the people in the government.