Most business-friendly city.
That was the latest in a string of appellations given to the local government of Biñan City, Laguna, once again highlighting the positive and progressive gains of the city government under Mayor Walfredo “Arman” R. Dimaguila, Jr.
This latest honor was given to the city by the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI), one of the largest business groups in the country.
This “Special Citation” was received by Business Permits and Licensing Office (BPLO) Head Atty. Edward Vange Arriba, during the PCCI’s 2022 Most Business-Friendly Local Government Unit (LGU) Awards held last Wednesday (October 19).
“Ito po ang first na actual award na na-receive ng Lungsod ng Biñan, because for the longest time since 2017, lagi po tayong finalist para sa award na ito,” Arriba told OpinYon Laguna in an interview.
This is the latest in a string of awards given to the Biñan City LGU for encouraging an “inclusive” economic growth that now benefits all residents of the city.
Last Thursday (October 20), the city ranked 1st in Economic Dynamism at the 10th Cities and Municipalities Competitiveness Summit of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI).
The city government also ranked Top 2 Most Competitive Component City in the Philippines for Innovation, and 6th Most Competitive City in the overall rankings.
Criteria
But what does “business-friendly” exactly mean?
According to the PCCI, there are two main criteria in judging whether an LGU is “business-friendly”: fast-tracking sustainable local economic development through ease of doing business (EODB) initiatives (50 percent); and most successful and effective initiatives between the LGU and private sector in ensuring inclusive growth (50 percent).
And as Arriba recalled, the competition among LGUs for this much-coveted title can be sometimes fierce.
“Ang pinaka-importante kasi rito sa selection ng PCCI, may mga programa ka – at kung may mga programa ka, kailangang properly documented,” the BPLO chief recalled.
Glowing numbers
Numbers don’t lie, as the old saying goes. And the statistics provided by the city government to the PCCI showed a city not only managing to keep but also grow its business-generating capacity, even amidst a global crisis such as the Covid-19 pandemic.
For example, in 2021 – at the height of the pandemic – the number of total investments generated by new businesses in the city rose by 30 percent, Arriba reported.
“Nag-increase rin po ang number of registered businesses during that period by 531,” he added.
“Kung noong 2020 ay 7,013 po ang number of registered businesses dito sa lungsod, noong 2021 ay 7,524 na po ito. Knowing na panahon po ito ng pandemic at mga lockdown, tuwang-tuwa po kami na sa awa ng Diyos ay hindi tayo sumabay sa trend na pababa ang number of registered businesses – in fact, tumaas pa po tayo.”
And because of this trend, the city’s Public Employment Service Office (PESO) was able to generate more than 20,000 employment opportunities for Biñanenses for 2021, Arriba added.
For the city government, these glowing numbers represent more than simple statistics.
“If we’ll be talking about the numbers, we are talking about the lives and the families that were changed by the jobs and the opportunities that were given to them,” Arriba said.
This same sentiment was shared by Dimaguila during the recent "Enhancing Digital Competencies Roadmap" seminar organized by the BPLO last Friday (October 21).
In his speech during the event, the city mayor suggested giving “special privileges” to the city’s top 100 taxpayers to encourage more businesses and investors to set up shop in Biñan City.
“Can you imagine, our top 100 taxpayers contribute 95 percent of all the taxes here in Biñan City, and that is why I have instructed Atty. Vange Arriba to might as well give special privileges to them,” the mayor said.
During that same event, officials from the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) lauded the city’s efforts in boosting its investment opportunities.
“Napansin ko po na ang spirit po ng ating butihing Mayor is very competitive,” DTI-Calabarzon Regional Director Marissa Argente noted. “Thank you very much for putting more investments here in Biñan; that is what really matters to the local government unit.”
‘Ayuda’-generated business growth
What may have also convinced the PCCI, Arriba explained, is the sheer number of programs the City of Biñan has launched to promote ease of doing business – about 200 programs in all, he recalled.
The main highlight of these programs, Arriba elaborated, is the much-vaunted “ayuda” or financial assistance that was given to all Biñanenses during the height of the Covid-19 lockdowns in 2021.
“Dahil nabigyan po ang lahat ng mga Biñanense ng ayuda – business owners and their employees alike – nabigyan po ng pagkakataon ang mga negosyante upang mas mapalago pa ang kanilang negosyo,” the BPLO head explained.
Aside from this, the City PESO also spearheaded “innovative” programs to create more jobs for Biñanenses who were affected by the pandemic.
“Ang gusto po ng PCCI, comprehensive growth: hindi ka lang nag-aalaga ng negosyo, kundi dumadami pa po ang trabaho sa lungsod,” Arriba said.
Ease of doing business
Once, when asked by OpinYon Laguna, a business owner in Biñan City said one big incentive for investing and starting a business in the city is its “ease of doing business” programs, including its year-round “Business One-Stop Shop” (BOSS) program.
Under this program, the process for applying for and renewing a business permit is speeded, as all concerned local departments are there to immediately process the applicant’s requirements.
The result: an operation which, in the past, can take up to a week to complete is now finished in just a day.
Arriba now explained to OpinYon Laguna that the rationale behind these programs is to encourage more businesses to register to Biñan City, exponentially leading to more jobs and more business opportunities.
“Mas gusto kasi namin na mas marami ang magrehistrong negosyo dito sa Biñan,” he said.
“At bilang isang negosyante, alam ko rin po na deterrent factor ang gastos sa business permit at ang matagal na pagpo-proseso nito – malaking abala po talaga siya. So we make sure na yung mga new businesses, at kung nakumpleto naman kaagad ang mga requirements, within the day, makukuha mo na kaagad ang business permit mo.”
In fact, Arriba added, business permits can be secured in just two hours during “off-peak” seasons, or in the months succeeding January and February.
Future plans
Now that Biñan City has received this coveted title of “Most Business-Friendly City,” Arriba said the city government is now in the process of launching more programs to entice even more investors and businesses to the city.
These include the “re-introduction” this November of the city’s online system that will enable local businesses to transact with the LGU online and pay their dues through digital payment systems.
“We will digitalize the BPLO and make more like a corporate setting, para mas maging professional ang dating ng ating opisina,” he explained.
Other projects slated by the local government include a “Franchise Expo” for those wishing to enter into a business franchise; mentorship, start-up and incubation programs for local businesses; and the revival of the “Biñan Bankers’ Club,” an association of different banks with branches in the city who will be willing to extend credit to the city’s small businesses.
Encouraging businesses
The city government is now also working into the creation of a “Consumer Care Service” for consumer complaints, as part of ensuring quality service among the city’s businesses.
“Para po sa akin, ang BPLO ay hindi lamang po nagbabantay sa mga negosyo sa lungsod,” Arriba emphasized.
“Dapat nagtatapik din tayo ng mga bagong negosyo. At kampante po ako na napakaganda ng economic climate ng ating lungsod, kaya mag-eencourage pa po kami ng mas maraming negosyante na magtayo ng negosyo dito sa lungsod.”
Meanwhile, Biñan City Information Office (CIO) head Roman Carencia told OpinYon Laguna that with the proper information drive, businesses from outside Biñan City could also be enticed to invest in the local economy.
“Sa aking pananaw, tamang impormasyon ang solusyon sa patuloy na pag-unlad ng ating siyudad," Carencia said in a message to OpinYon Laguna.