DIGITAL TRANSACTIONS. Bacolod City Mayor Alfredo Abelardo Benitez (left) announces the development of the online system of local government departments during his first 100 days report at the Government Center grounds on Saturday night (Oct. 8, 2022). The Office of the Building Official was the first to go online with the issuance of business permits. (Screengrab from Albee Benitez Facebook Live)
BACOLOD CITY – The city government here has started issuing business-related permits online as part of the commitment to digitalize government transactions.
The first to go online was the Office of the Building Official (OBO), which grants building, occupancy and electrical permits for construction projects.
The OBO also conducts annual safety inspections of residential-based businesses, commercial buildings and other government-owned structures.
“We have started developing online systems for city departments. Now, you can already apply online for business permits,” Mayor Alfredo Abelardo Benitez said in his first 100 days report at Bacolod City Government Center grounds on Saturday night. “This is the first step towards our digitalization program.”
In an interview, Benitez said going online means the applicant no longer has to pass through anyone to file an application, reducing processing time.
“You don’t have to ask help from any person, you can directly apply. You can see the status of your application. It has a tracking system. You don’t have to go back and forth to the Government Center to process your papers,” he added.
In his first term, Benitez said one of the goals of his administration is to make Bacolod a smart city, which means more online transactions.
Also in line with the implementation of electronic-governance, Benitez said the city government has initiated a digital archiving system that will centralize storage and access to all government documents.
“All the documents will be scanned, uploaded, easily tracked, and stored. Everything will be digital and online,” he said.
The mayor noted that through digital archiving, the efficiency of employees will significantly improve since mounds of paper will be lessened.
Benitez also said the Bacolod Express Service Office will soon be established through the city’s memorandum of agreement with Ayala Malls Capitol Central, which will host the facility of at least 12 offices for convenient processing of documents and easy access to government services. (PNA)
