Yaokasin pushes one-day business permit renewal, inspections later

Posted on November 09, 2026 at 04:02 PM

Tacloban City — A local business leader is urging the Tacloban City government to simplify its annual business permit renewal process, proposing that established businesses with no outstanding violations be allowed to secure their permits within a day, with inspections conducted later in the year.

Jimmy “Jimjim” T. Yaokasin Jr., president of Toyota Tacloban and Toyota Calbayog and a former city administrator, said businesses that have been operating for 15 to 20 years should no longer have to go through the same lengthy process as newly established businesses every January.

“When a business has been operating for 15 or 20 years, permit renewal should be a one-day process,” Yaokasin said.

He proposed an “inspect-after-issue” arrangement in which established businesses could receive their permits upon payment of the required taxes, while inspections would be conducted throughout the year.

“Issue the renewal permit upon tax payment, and conduct inspections during the year. If there is a violation, you can easily cancel the permit later – do not hold up productive business hours,” he said.

New businesses, however, should still undergo the required inspections before permits are issued to ensure compliance with fire safety, sanitation, zoning and building regulations.

Yaokasin said even long-established businesses are required to secure several clearances every year, including those involving fire safety, sanitation, zoning, real property taxes and building or occupancy permits.

The annual renewal period, particularly in January, often requires business owners or their representatives to spend hours going from one office to another to complete the necessary documents.

He said the delays also affect workers and small business operators who depend on daily earnings.

Citing tricycle drivers who earn about P300 a day, Yaokasin said spending hours in government offices to process permits could mean losing an entire day’s income.

He proposed limiting waiting time for business permit transactions to no more than 30 minutes.

He also urged the city government to link the databases of its different departments so applicants would no longer have to personally bring documents from one office to another.

Records on zoning, real property taxes and building compliance, he said, should be accessible to concerned offices for internal verification.

While acknowledging the city’s efforts to introduce online payment services, including Electronic Business One-Stop-Shop (eBOSS), Yaokasin said the actual release of business permits remains cumbersome because clearances from different departments are not yet fully integrated.

The proposal comes as local businesses continue to face rising prices and higher operating costs.

Yaokasin said many business owners are now focused on “survival and maintenance rather than aggressive expansion.”

He said simplifying permit renewals would allow business owners and workers to spend more time running their businesses instead of waiting in government offices.

As Eastern Visayas’ commercial and transportation hub, Tacloban needs a business environment that allows existing enterprises to operate efficiently and encourages new investments, he said.

The proposal would require discussions with the Tacloban City Business Permits and Licensing Office and the city administration, particularly on the implementation of post-issuance inspections and enforcement measures.

Photo by: Rolly Magallanes