BACOLOD City – The Negros Island business community has appealed to Mayor Greg Gasataya and the Bacolod Sangguniang Panlungsod to adopt temporary relief measures that would help businesses remain operational as economic challenges continue to affect the region.
In an open appeal posted on social media, Frank Carbon, vice president for government affairs of the Metro Bacolod Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MBCCI), said business leaders are seeing the effects of declining purchasing power in rural communities, driven by setbacks in agriculture and other key industries, spill over into urban centers, particularly Bacolod City.
The group also cited rising electricity, fuel, and logistics costs as factors further increasing the burden on local enterprises.
“During periods like these, keeping businesses open is just as important as attracting new investments,” Carbon said in the statement issued on behalf of the business community.
Among the proposals is a more supportive approach to business permit applications and renewals. The group urged the city government to assist establishments in complying with regulatory requirements instead of ordering closures over administrative deficiencies whenever allowed by law.
The business sector also called for flexible payment arrangements for overdue local taxes, permit fees, and other obligations, including deferred or installment payment schemes, to help businesses remain operational while meeting their financial responsibilities.
The appeal likewise urged the city government to help public utility and transport operators remain in service by prioritizing compliance assistance and payment arrangements over immediate impoundment in cases involving administrative deficiencies, when legally permissible.
The group also asked the city to accelerate payments to suppliers and contractors to improve cash flow, expand procurement from Negros-based farmers, fisherfolk, and businesses, and strengthen support for micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) through digital transformation, artificial intelligence adoption, productivity enhancement, and business development programs.
Business leaders emphasized that the appeal does not seek to relax the enforcement of laws but rather calls for practical measures that would enable businesses to comply with regulations while continuing operations.
“Every business that remains open protects jobs. Every worker who remains employed supports a family. Every family that continues spending helps sustain another local business,” the statement read.
The business community described the proposals as temporary measures aimed at helping enterprises weather the economic slowdown, preserve jobs, and sustain economic activity in Bacolod City and across Negros Island over what it expects to be a challenging one- to two-year period./PN
