DILG ASKS LGUS FOR ONE-STOP SHOPS FOR BUILDING PERMITS

What’s the target? Bring the process of securing construction permits from 23 steps in as many as 122 days, down to 8 steps in 36 days, says DILG Undersecretary Austere Panadero

More local government units (LGUs) are encouraged to establish one-stop shops and automate their processes to make it easier to secure building permits and certificates of occupancy.

Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Undersecretary Austere Panadero said that setting-up a one-stop shop for construction permits, which will requires placing different LGU offices and the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) in the same space, are among the requisites for making the process of obtaining construction permits more efficient.

Panadero said a new joint memorandum circular sets uniform standards for processing building permits and certificates of occupancy, including a unified application form, four sets of plan requirements, four steps in five days processing time, and one-time assessment and payment of fees.

The DILG, BFP, Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT), and the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) issued the joint circular.

“These will significantly contribute in reducing the entire process of securing construction permit from 23 steps in 122 days to 8 steps in 36 days,” he said.

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Panadero also underscored the need for LGUs to automate and computerize their processes, such as allowing online applications, monitoring of application status, and release of order of payment.

He also urged LGUs to unify the assessment and payment for building permits and certificates of occupancy to promote one-time assessment and payment, including that for their Office of the Building Official (OBO) and BFP.

Panadero said they should also prepare a checklist of procedures and requirements for securing building permits and certificates of occupancy and use an evaluation checklist for processing these permits to standardize processes for OBOs.

“We have started with Quezon City, moving to all cities, first in the NCR (National Capital Region) and later to other cities and municipalities,” he said.

Panadero also revealed that the oversight committee on construction permits, composed of DILG with BFP, DPWH, DTI and DICT, has convened to constitute teams-coaches and mentors at the regional and provincial levels.

These will assist cities and municipalities in cutting out unnecessary steps and requirements and meet the new standards on building permits and certificates of occupancy, he said.

“We will continue instituting reforms to further ease doing business, particularly on the cost of doing business,” he added.