By Dominique Gabriel G. Bañaga

The ongoing Business One-Stop Shop (BOSS), which is designed to provide faster and convenient business permit registration and renewal, at the Bacolod City Government Center (BCGC) is still without the participation of 18 local barangays.

Executive Assistant Samuel Montoyo, Sr. earlier explained barangays must set up at the event in order to provide applicants with documentation such as barangay business clearances. The city official also previously cited RA 11032, or the Anti-Red Tape Act of 2007, which he said requires participation by barangays in the said program.

Association of Barangay Captains in Bacolod President Lady Gles Gonzales urged barangay captains to participate in the program, adding, she hopes all 61 will participate this week.

However, last week, Montoyo said charges await barangay officials who choose not to take part.

“Barangay officials must comply the law or else they will be facing complaint,” he earlier stressed. “I will be filing complaints [with] the Department of Interior and Local Government, Civil Service Commission, and Office of the President against barangay officials who will fail to participate.”

According to Bacolod City Permits and Licensing Division head Stela Rose Rayos, the event will end on January 20./DGB, WDJ