BACOLOD City — The Bacolod City Government has warned a private educational institution that it could face closure if it fails to comply with the requirements for the renewal of its 2026 business permit within the next 15 working days.
Secretary to the Mayor Atty. Marty Go said the city served the school with a second notice of violation on July 1 after it failed to comply with an earlier notice issued on June 25.
The second notice, signed by Business Permits and Licensing Office (BPLO) head Stela Rose Rayos, stated that the institution was found operating without a valid Mayor’s Permit, in violation of City Ordinance No. 565, Series of 2011, or the Bacolod City Revised Local Revenue Code of 2011.
According to the notice, the school had initially been given three days to correct the deficiencies identified during an inspection but failed to comply within the prescribed period.
“For this reason, you are hereby advised to immediately stop your business operations within the territorial jurisdiction of the City of Bacolod,” the notice stated.
Go, however, clarified that the directive to cease operations is voluntary and does not yet constitute a closure order.
“The second notice gives the school 15 working days to complete all the requirements for the issuance of its 2026 business permit. If it still fails to comply, the BPLO will recommend the closure of the establishment to the City Legal Office,” Go said.
He expressed confidence that the institution would complete the remaining requirements before the deadline.
Go said the school’s application for the renewal of its business permit remains pending because it has yet to secure the required clearances from the City Health Office (CHO) and the Bacolod Environment and Natural Resources Office (BENRO).
Mayor Greg Gasataya earlier confirmed that the school had applied to renew its business permit but failed to submit all the documentary requirements needed for approval.
The mayor said the institution has yet to submit the health cards required by the CHO and comply with BENRO’s wastewater discharge permit requirements.
“If there is still no progress after the second notice, the city will have no choice but to order the closure of the establishment for failure to comply with business permit regulations,” Gasataya said.
Records from the BPLO showed that the school also operated without a business permit in 2021 and 2022 before successfully renewing its permits in 2023, 2024, and 2025. Its application for a 2026 business permit remains pending due to incomplete requirements.
The institution has recently come under public scrutiny after more than 100 Senior High School students who claimed to have completed their studies were allegedly barred from participating in their graduation ceremony on June 24 because of unpaid financial obligations. The incident prompted complaints before the Department of Education (DepEd).
Meanwhile, Bacolod Lone District Representative and Deputy Speaker Alfredo Abelardo Benitez said the rights of students who have completed their academic requirements must be protected.
“The Department of Education’s policy is clear: no student who has earned the right to graduate should ever be denied that milestone because of an inability to pay. Graduation is a recognition of years of hard work and sacrifice, and no student should be deprived of that achievement,” Benitez said in a statement posted on social media.
Benitez said he discussed the incident with DepEd officials, parents, students, and school representatives after learning that Grade 12 students had allegedly been barred from joining their graduation rites because of delayed tuition payments.
“I have already filed a House Resolution calling for an investigation into this matter and to strengthen the protection of students. This should never happen again,” he said./PN
