Transactions made easier, faster at Parañaque City Hall

MANILA, Philippines — Applying for business and work permits at Parañaque City Hall has become easier and much faster with last week’s launching of the second phase of Project Express Lane Operation (ELO).

Project ELO 2.0 also makes the city government the first locally to fully comply with the President’s directive to simplify and expedite the processing of permits and licenses.

The city’s business permits and licensing office chief, Melanie Soriano-Malaya, said that from 19 steps, the procedure for transactions has been reduced to just three.

Also, a tracking system helps clients see the progress of their applications in real time. Those applying for the renewal of their business permits, for instance, can do it through the self-service Smart Kiosks.

These can print application forms, mayor’s permits and quarterly statements of account for the payment of business taxes and fees, reducing human transactions which may be vulnerable to red tape and corruption. —Dexter Cabalza