DAY 1
Get an application form from the Permits & Licensing Division and fill it out. Make sure to bring all the original and photocopies of the following documents below in case they ask for one. In this step you should already declare the start-up capital amount for your business (how much you shelled out for the business in general roughly). The higher you declare the more you pay as you go along in processing your business permit of course. You will also be asked questions regarding the nature of your business, what you will be selling/products etc. You application form stays at the Permits & Licensing office but don’t worry they will furnish you with a checklist which indicates where to go and what to do next. Quite organize actually. Please bring the following:
- office and prepare 3 possible business names. You may already secure one even before you find a place for your business/business address.
DTI certificate is the easiest to apply. You may pay for it online via GCASH OR through Bancnet accredited banks but if you’re not online savvy better yet visit your local DTI
The easiest to apply as it can be done online.
- Barangay Clearance which cost depends on the type of business. I was charged P300 for a food cart. You may secure one provided a business address is already available.
- Contract of Lease which indicates how much is your monthly rent (if leasing only). The cost of the monthly rent for your business is also significant when it comes to how much the City Treasury Office will charge you.
- A Sketch where your business is located.
- 1x1 ID picture for the Health Certificate Application form.
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This is the first thing you have to accomplish
provided you already have a business address.
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1. Go to the Planning office - the person at the desk will have a look at your location sketch, requirements and ask you where exactly the business is located, products you will be selling again (yes they will ask you over and over again in each and every step if I’m not mistaken) and they will visit your place of business the same day or maybe whenever they are not busy (in my experience I learned they visited the same day).
2. CEPMO (City Environment & Parks Management Office) - Their office is downstairs from the Planning Office. They don’t ask much except the nature of business and the employee will just write down the date in you checklist form and encode something in the computer.
3. CBAO (City Building & Architecture Office) - Located inside the one-stop-shop place they call where people get their Cedula (CTC) just pan your eyes to the right and you should see a short bondpaper with CBAO printed in bold letters. In this step you will just furnish a photocopy of your Contract of Lease and the lady will encode something in her computer.
4. RPT (Real Property Tax - Treasury) - across from the CID (Campaign & Investigation Division) office. You will be asked if you are renting an apartment/house or if you own one/real property related questions then she/he will check something in the computer and you’re off to the next step.
5. CID (Campaign & Investigation Division) Office - I learned from this office that they already visited my place of business the same day I was processing my business permit. I was then advised to sit down for an interview and referred to the lady at a separate desk. The lady asked me about the start-up capital, products I will be selling for my business and possible price ranges, if I will be hiring an employee, when will the business start such as tentative date etcetera, then I was asked to have my checklist signed by the third person in charge and then have it checked again by the 4th person in charge downstairs.
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| Business Permit |
-First off, the BHD desk at the Baguio City Hall is only available from 1PM-5PM (Weekdays excluding Holidays of course). It was morning time when I came by that's why there was no one there. I was told the person there won't be available until 1PM so I was advised to go directly to the Baguio Health Center located in T. Alonzo. You will be asked how many employees you will hire because the employee/s will go through the same process as the business owner, the stool sample, xray & seminar.
-Baguio Health Center - I filled out an Application Form for the Health Certificate and attached a 1x1 ID picture (Indicate if NEW or RENEWAL, your details such as your name, address, age, name of business etc.) and have the same person who handed you the form to sign it. BUT, it doesn’t end there, you still have to produce a stool sample, xray and attend a seminar.
What you will be asked to do as per the form:
a. Submit a stool sample (refer to the form from the Health Center that you filled out)
b. Chest XRAY (w/ plate, CD, if done outside and not at the Baguio Health Center)
c. Short clean nails - Make sure you’re not wearing nail polish or you have to take them off like I did just to get a signature (I know how ridiculous it sounds but I had to). I even bought a nail polish remover and cotton balls at the nearest mini-grocery form the Health Center geez.
Note: The Baguio Health Center kiosk outside only accepts stool samples from 8AM-10AM (business days of course) and you should take you stool sample there within 30 minutes from the time it was taken or it’s useless. If you took your sample at home and you live far just tell them it was taken less than 30 minutes ago unless you want to go through the hassle of producing one again LOL, just a tip though and as long as it wasn’t taken the day before. As much as I want to finish everything in just one day I can’t because I feel kind of grossed with the whole stool sample thing. It’s a pet peeve actually even back during my pre-employment requirement days. I understand the whole point of it, it’s just that I always prefer urine sample or blood test over stool sample.
-It’s ok to buy your own stool container (P10-15.00 usually, the more expensive one has its own scooper/spoon) and it’s alright as well to have your stool sample (Fecalysis) taken to other diagnostic centers near you and so as the Chest XRAY. I had mine done at the ADMC in Assumption road and the Fecalysis cost P150 (30 minute rule applies with the stool sample) and the Chest XRAY which came with a CD, a photocopy of your right chest XRAY along with the result paper only cost me P270. For the stool sample the result is out in 30 minutes and you just wait for your name to be called (in case that didn’t happen just approach the nurses at the cashier/counter).
-The XRAY result is often the day after and just ask for the time you could pick it up. Make sure to bring with you the entire brown envelope of your XRAY result when you go back to BHC the next day because the doctor will ask for the photocopy of your right chest and the computerized result from the clinic or diagnostic center where you had everything done.
DAY 2
-I would suggest to head straight to the Health Center and not visit City Hall anymore with all your test results (Fecalysis/XRAY & Clean Nails) because you will be advised to head straight there anyways. You only go back to City Hall once everything is already finished and make sure your check list is complete beforehand.
-Head straight to the basement and go to the XRAY window to have your chest XRAY result validated/stamped.
-Pay for the Health Certificate upstairs (P25.00)
-Go to the desk (with the wide-opened door) where the nurse is to have your nails checked. The nurse will stamped/sign your form afterwards.
Attend a seminar which will be conducted at the Health Center as well because if you don’t you won’t be able to get the Health Certificate. The seminar starts at 8AM (Weekdays excluding Holidays) and lasts for roughly 1-2 hours. No seminars in the afternoon.
DAY 3
I decided to attend the Seminar on a Monday so I can finally finish the last and the final step. I waited along with my sister outside the Health Center as early as 8AM and we were allowed in on the dot. The attendees were instructed to go to the 3rd floor for the Seminar. It was a glass room filled with chairs and many windows and a projector screen. We were roughly 20-30 people if I’m not mistaken and the seminar started quite late but it was alright since there’s not much to discuss but basic stuff about proper food handling and dangers of improper food preparation. It was definitely informative of course. We were required to write our names down on a logbook, a 15 item quiz thereafter and some already got their certificates (pre-employment mostly) but for businesses you just have to fill out a small green form, attached a 1x1 ID photo and wait for your name to be called at the Sanitation office which is a room with sliding doors to your right, near the stairs also on the 3rd floor where the seminar was held. You will be given two forms: one small green card and a work permit form. If it's for business, then, no need to accomplish the bigger white form. Getting your health certificate is easier if it’s for a business permit.
Back to the City Hall...
One-stop-shop
-I took my small green form from the Health Center along with my Health Certificate and all of my requirements to the City Hall and headed straight to the one-stop-shop BHD counter, had my Health requirements checked and I was finally told to go to the Permits & Licensing Office. You will be asked again how many employees you will hire so be consistent because they want to make sure your employee goes through the same process (stool sample, XRAY and seminar).
Permits & Licensing Division
-I was told to go to the Fire Bureau/Station across to acquire a Fire Safety permit and so I did.
Fire Station
(Add: 1 Corner Abanao and Kayang Streets, Baguio (across from Baguio City Hall)
-Look for the sign that reads 'business permit'
-Be ready with your assessment form (the one with the computations and the ‘most expensive one’ you paid for at the one-stop-shop). They will assess how much you will pay for based on your declared assessed value of your business or something like that. I paid less than P150, waited at the releasing section for the Fire & Safety permit and went back to City Hall (Permits office).
Releasing of Business Permit (finally!)...
-I handed all my forms and requirements at the Permits & Licensing office, waited a while and finally got my business permit which I so long worked hard for 3 gruelling days AMEN.
+_+
So, what’s my take on this whole business permit application process? It was still faster compared maybe to Manila of course because Baguio is a small place and everything is pretty much just around the corner. I’m just hoping that someday, since the City Hall already has a ‘one-stop-shop,’ why not keep the Health Center close by perhaps so people don’t need to hop from one place to another just to get things done to save time because at one point I wished I could just teleport because it was such a hassle quite frankly. BHD should also be more clear and precise when it comes to what people should do next by possibly handing out a piece of paper which would detail the steps one by one because it was honestly confusing if it’s your first time applying for a business permit. The BHD process perplexed me the most. Just an FYI, the BHD kiosk is ONLY available Mondays to Fridays (excluding Holidays) 8AM-12NN at the Baguio Health Center and 1PM-5PM at the one-stop-shop (Baguio City Hall) so don't go to the City Hall in the morning if you're in a rush because there's no one there at the BHD desk.
Anyways, let me just give a quick rundown how it works (Health Certificate Application @BHC) and just a heads up you may need to allot 2 days to accomplish everything.
- Head straight to the Health Center (BHC) once done with everything you need to accomplish at the Baguio Municipal Hall (steps 1-6) to get your application form with your 1x1 ID picture at the entrance. Fill it out and return it back to the same person you got it from.
- I would suggest to already bring your stool sample with you (taken within the last 30minutes) so all you have to do is to have your Chest XRAY done the same day. You may only submit your stool sample between 8AM-10PM (business days) at the desk to your left near the entrance where the nurses are.
- BHC has its own XRAY facility if I’m not mistaken although there are tons of diagnostic centers in the area. I don’t know how long it takes for XRAY results but I guess it would depend on where you had it done. I had my Chest XRAY done at the AMDC and I picked up the result the day after so I am not sure if there’s a way to finish both tests in just one day.
- If you are able to submit your stool sample at the nurse's desk before 8AM then that’d be perfect because that means you’re hitting two birds in one stone since the seminar also starts at 8AM. DO NOT BE LATE or you’ll be advised to attend the next one which is not scheduled until the next day.
- Pay P25 for the Health Certificate (1st floor). Please do this once you’re done with the seminar.
- Make sure your nails are clean and short and if they are just head straight to the door with the sign that reads ‘animal bite’ something (sorry that’s all that I can recall lol) with your health certificate application form to have it signed (also on the 1st floor).
Expected expenses for the following:
- DTI Certificate P545 more or less
- Barangay Clearance (cost depends on the line of business) less than P500
- Business Permit (cost depends on the start-up capital)
- Cedula/TCT (no need to get one yourself as it will be attached to your forms) P5.00 varies
- Stool sample P150-200 approximately
- XRAY less than P300
- Health Certificate P25.00
- Fire & Safety Certificate (cost depends on the business assessed value) only if applicable*
- BIR (I'll add updates on this one)
Kudos if you’re able to finish everything that you need to accomplish at the BHC in just one day because that means it’ll only take you couple of days to accomplish your business permit application so good luck! :)
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