BUSINESS owners can benefit from faster and easier way of securing business permits and licensing online with the application software developed by the Department of Information and Communications (DICT).

DICT Government Digital Transformation Bureau director Leo Urbiztondo Jr. said the Integrated Business Permits and Licensing System (iBPLS) will transition to Integrated Local Government Unit (iLGU) by 2022.

“With iLGU, filing, processing and payment and issuance of permits and licenses can be done online,” Urbiztondo said in a webinar.

He said the iBPLS focuses on the development, maintenance and implementation of an online system for the processing of business permits with barangay clearance, building permits and certificate of occupancy.

As of July 2021, Urbiztondo said 326 local government units (LGUs) implemented an online system for processing of business permits through DICT’s iBPLS, with 54 of them located in Eastern Visayas.

“We have operational (online system for processing of business permits) and under developmental--we have conducted pilot testing, we have also LGUs who are into ongoing data build-up, and we have also those for data buildup which also include those that just started or about to start (implementing),” he said.

Urbiztondo said the DICT is also conducting free training for LGU system users.

Epayment

He added LGUs have implemented epayment include Baler, Quezon; Ilagan, Isabela; Paete, Laguna; Mandaue, Cebu; and San Roque, Northern Samar.

For building permit and certificate of occupancy, Urbiztondo said five LGUs are already in the operational stage of the system, 32 LGUs are undergoing system testing, while 15 LGUs are waiting for a time slot for training on the iBPLS.

Anti-Red Tape Authority Secretary and Director General Jeremiah Belgica said the electronic Business One-Stop Shop aims to automate business permitting and licensing systems in LGUs.

As of May 31, 2021, Belgica said about 580 LGUs were already using the iBPLS which automates the processing of their business or mayor’s permit.

“...We are hoping that by the end of the term of our President, we would be able to at least automate most if not all of the local government units’ business permit and licensing offices,” he said. (PHILEXPORT NEWS AND FEATURES)