The Bacolod City government enhanced the security features of permits issued by the Business Permits and Licensing Office (BPLO) to curb cases of counterfeiting, many of which have recently been discovered.

As of yesterday, reports received by the City Mayor’s Office showed at least 90 fake business permits had been found during the renewal process.

Mayor Alfredo Abelardo Benitez said these were discovered because of the online tracking system put in place by the city government and with the active participation of Bacolodnons, who reported the fake documents.

“Since we placed QR [quick response] codes on vital documents, it is easier to validate whether the issued documents are authentic or not. We encourage people to also double check,” he said.

He added the City Treasurer’s Office has also found counterfeit official receipts and assessment papers.

“I have directed an investigation into all of this,” the mayor said, adding some former job order personnel have been initially identified as among those involved.

During his State of the City Address earlier this month, Benitez said before his administration took over, the business permits issued by the city lacked security features, making them prone to forgery.

“That is why we placed a QR code on the business permits and other official documents that we issue,” he added.

The mayor said the authenticity of the business permit could easily be validated by the BPLO by scanning the QR code.

“You can also check if it is valid or authentic, just scan the QR code,” he added.

Benitez said that before, it took a long time to apply for or renew a business permit, prompting some applicants to deal with fixers supposedly for faster issuance of the permit.

“What they didn’t know was that they were given fake documents. Please don’t believe the fixers. There’s no need for a shortcut because we have made the process easier and faster,” the mayor said. (PNA)