BPLO told to enforce 3-day rule for fire safety clearances

Cebu City's Business Permit and Licensing Office (BPLO) has been directed to enforce the three-day rule on fire safety clearances for business permit renewals, a move designed to cut red tape and speed up services under the Ease of Doing Business law.

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In Memorandum No. 2026 00165 issued last week, Cebu City Mayor Nestor Archival ordered the BPLO to implement Section 17 of Republic Act 11032’s Implementing Rules, which requires the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) to submit either a Fire Safety Inspection Certificate (FSIC) or a negative list of establishments with pending fire safety issues within three working days of an application.

The memorandum states that "in the event that the BFP fails to furnish the city/municipality with either the FSIC or the negative list within the prescribed period of three working days, the business entity shall be deemed to have a temporarily valid FSIC."

On March 13, the BPLO issued a public notice clarifying that businesses not on the BFP negative list may present proof of payment made and accepted not earlier than three days before submission as a substitute for the FSIC when applying for or renewing permits.