Present at the launch are: Department of Trade and industry (DTI) Secretary Ramon Lopez (center), Valenzuela City Mayor REX Gatchalian (to his right), Vice Mayor Lorena Natividad-Borja (to his left), and the City Council of Valenzuela.
The people of Valenzuela City who are hoping to start their own business will no longer have to wait for days or weeks or even fall in an endless line to apply for a permit. The city government of Valenzuela took initiative to include some technology in the process, making the business applications easier, faster, and more accurate.
Introduced last November 13, the city tested the first ever integrated permit application system called 3S Plus Valenzuela City Online Services. Through this, the city hall’s now able to provide a single platform for the application of permits and even the request for documents. According to the city council, the 3S Plus is the first of its kind and recognized as the fastest applications system in the country.
Thanks to it, over 18,000 applicants swarming at the city hall will now be spared from unreasonable costs and time required to get important documents.
The new system dubbed “Paspas Permit” is Valenzuela City’s adoption of digital technology to help them to be in full compliance to the Ease of Doing Business (EODB) Law. The newly launched and now fully functional business permit application system reportedly takes only 10 seconds to issue a provisionary business permit. This makes the usual 15-30 minutes wait shorter by over 500%.
Mayor Rex Gatchialian, commends the system and says putting the service in streamline will greatly accelerate the usually long process in getting permits. He said in a speech:
“The new platform demonstrates the local government’s commitment to make services more efficient and innovative, which in turn can attract more investors and spur further development. Entrepreneurs are indispensable to our country’s growth and so we are empowering them through improved systems of service delivery.”
Valenzuela City is the first to use the type of technology to bring convenience to the thousands of business owners in the city. Mayor Gatchalian added:
“At this point, the adoption of digital technology has become essential to fostering growth. The launch of 3S Plus Valenzuela City Online Services shows how we are leveraging on the innovative use of new technologies for better, faster services to our constituents.”
Apart from the release being shorter, the city government has made all other processes involved in getting permits much easier. To avoid the hassles of having to leave their shops to go back to the city hall and pick up their actual business permits, applicants now have the choice to have it delivered to them by Wide Wide World (formerly DHL Philippines) or Grab Express. It was said that the release of the actual permit only takes 3-5 working days.
Applicants also have more choices now on how they can pay the processing fee. Payments can now be done via Visa, Mastercard, debit cards, Bancnet or PayMaya to prevent the risks of bringing along some cash.
The city also assured that documentary requirements submitted through the platform are reviewed real-time between 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM from Mondays to Fridays. But for those who fail to submit within those times, their documents will be reviewed promptly the next morning or the next working day when you submit during the weekends or the holidays.
The 3S Plus Valenzuela City Online Services accepts applications for:
- Renewal or Application of New Business Permits
- Building and Construction Permit application
- Real Property Tax (RPT) payments
- Requests for Certified True Copy of Tax Declaration, Tax Mapping Certificate, Certificate of Non-Improvement and Appraisal of Real Property
- Requests for Certified True Copy of Birth, Death, and Marriage Certificate, and Court Decision
As for Provisionary Building and Construction permits, they will also be accepted through the system within 10 second upon confirmation of payment. A provisionary permit will then be sent to the email of the applicant and can then start construction activities. However, applicants of these kinds of permits should still submit the original documents to the Office of the Building Official (OBO) within 15 days. Only then can they obtain theiractual permit. Otherwise, their provisionary permit will be revoked after a certain number of days of doing construction.
Mayor Gatchalian concludes:
“Simpler and faster processes reflect good governance and this is what we want to achieve through our 3S Plus Valenzuela City Online Services. This platform is a one-stop shop for permits and documents needed by residents, investors, and entrepreneurs who want to do business in our city.”
Apart from the “Paspas Permit,” the city of Valenzuela is known for embracing other digital innovations to prosper its locality. As it upholds E-Governance, Valenzuela earned various recognitions from numerous reputable institutions. Among the awards it nabbed in the past for its stints to modernization is the Hall-of-Fame to the Most Business Friendly Highly Urbanized City award from the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI), which it won for several years including in 2012, 2014, 2015, and again, in 2019 after a mandatory three-year hiatus from the Search.
To register an account at the 3S Plus Valenzuela City Online Services and start applying for permits and documents, visit www.valenzuela.gov.ph.
