BPLO told to enforce 3-day rule for fire safety clearances

CEBU, Philippines — Cebu City’s Business Permit and Licensing Office (BPLO) has been directed to enforce the three-day rule on fire safety clearances for business permit renewals, a move designed to cut red tape and speed up services under the Ease of Doing Business law.

In Memorandum No. 2026 00165 issued last week, Cebu City Mayor Nestor Archival ordered the BPLO to implement Section 17 of Republic Act 11032’s Implementing Rules, which requires the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) to submit either a Fire Safety Inspection Certificate (FSIC) or a negative list of establishments with pending fire safety issues within three working days of an application.

The memorandum states that “in the event that the BFP fails to furnish the city/municipality with either the FSIC or the negative list within the prescribed period of three working days, the business entity shall be deemed to have a temporarily valid FSIC.”

On March 13, the BPLO issued a public notice clarifying that businesses not on the BFP negative list may present proof of payment made and accepted not earlier than three days before submission as a substitute for the FSIC when applying for or renewing permits.

The notice emphasized that such proof of payment may serve for issuance of a business permit, “without prejudice to any subsequent action by BFP for non compliance with fire safety regulations.”

The directive came after complaints from Cebu City business owners about delays in securing fire safety clearances, often cited as a bottleneck in the renewal process.

Meanwhile, the Mandaue City Council has filed a resolution urging the city mayor, through their BPLO, to strictly enforce existing rules on the issuance and renewal of business permits for lodging houses, inns, and similar establishments amid concerns these may be used for illegal activities.

?The proposed measure, authored by Councilor Dante Borbajo, was prompted by the recent discovery of a drug den operating in a lodging house in Cebu City, where the National Bureau of Investigation arrested 15 individuals during a raid.

“Kanang atong gipasar nga resolution, naa man g’yud insidente sa Cebu City last March 13,” Borbajo said in an interview yesterday.

He noted that there are four similar establishments operating in Mandaue City, prompting the filing of the resolution to ensure that those without proper permits are ordered closed.

Borbajo added that such establishments are commonly linked to illegal activities because of their low room rates, with some offering rooms for as low as ?199 for three hours.

Under the draft resolution, the council is requesting the mayor to direct the BPLO to strengthen regulatory oversight, including regular spot inspections of establishments offering transient accommodations to ensure compliance with permit conditions.

The measure also calls on the BPLO to recommend the immediate closure of lodging houses and inns violating permit conditions or being used for illegal activities, in accordance with existing laws and regulations.

In the resolution’s explanatory note, the council emphasized that permit conditions should not be treated as mere formalities but as binding commitments by business owners to operate in accordance with the law and public morals.

The council cited Republic Act No. 9165, or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002, which penalizes the operation of drug dens and holds owners or operators liable when their establishments are used for illegal drug activities.

Borbajo said the incident in Cebu City should serve as a warning to local governments to remain vigilant, stressing that unmonitored lodging houses can become sanctuaries for criminal elements if left unchecked.