ANGELES CITY — Mayor Carmelo “Pogi” Lazatin, Jr. is strongly urging the City Council to extend the business tax payment for the permits renewal of existing business establishments without penalties from January 21 until March 31, 2022.
In his letter to the members of the Sangguniang Panlungsod led by Vice Mayor Vicenta Vega-Cabigting, he is asking to pass a Resolution for the two-month extension, also mentioning the temporary lockdown of some city government offices involved for the payment due to the pandemic.
Mayor Lazatin said this initiative is to also help local businesses recover in the new normal setting, as they are one of the hardest hit sectors because of the pandemic.
“Ngayon pa lang po nagpapasalamat na po tayo kina Vice Mayor Vega-Cabigting at sa mga miyembro ng City Council dahil alam po nating kaisa natin sila sa hangaring matulungan ang mga namumuhunan dito sa siyudad,” Lazatin shared.
In fact, Katlen Gozum, Business Permit and Licensing Division — Business One Stop Coordinator, shared during her interview at the Lingkod Bayan on Thursday, January 6, there are already 2,000 applicants for business permits in just three days.
“Mataas na bilang po ito kumpara sa first week ng renewal po last year,” Gozum said.
The Business Permit and Licensing Division led by Head Evangeline Malonzo has been regularly inspecting business establishments in the city, in order to ensure that safety and health protocols are being observed.
Malonzo stressed the importance of conducting these regular inspections, as instructed by Mayor Lazatin.
“Kahit gusto nating makabawi yung mga kababayan natin sa business sector, hindi pa rin dapat nawawala yung pag-iingat natin dahil may COVID-19 pa rin sa siyudad,” Malonzo said.
“We have designated teams to conduct regular inspections in various business establishments around the city,” she added.