Batangas town shuts 20 tourism businesses without permits
LUCENA CITY–The municipal government of Lian in Batangas province shut down 20 tourism establishments and beach resorts in the town due to non-payment of the required permits and licenses.
“This action aligns with Ordinance No. RSL-29, Series of 2022, which aims to make the Business Permit and Licensing System (BPLS) in Lian more efficient and organized,” the local government said in a post in Filipino on its Facebook page on Thursday.
The order was implemented on the same day by a team of municipal employees who, accompanied by uniformed policemen, posted the closure notices on the establishments.
The municipal government said it would also take legal actions against those violating tax laws and local ordinances, if warranted.
The municipality said two resorts in Barangay San Diego was closed on Feb. 7 while others were issued a notice to comply and given 17 days to secure the required permits.
“Despite this, over 20 businesses failed to comply within the given deadline, leading to the immediate enforcement of the closure order today (Feb. 27),” the post stated.
Lian, 72 kilometers from Batangas City and 100 kilometers from Manila, is a popular tourist destination for locals and foreign visitors.
The locality, facing Nasugbu Bay on the Verde Island Passage (VIP), is known for its fine sand beaches, clear waters, and natural beauty.
VIP, a 1.14 million-hectare marine ecosystem located off the coastlines of Batangas, Romblon, Marinduque, Occidental Mindoro and Oriental Mindoro provinces, teems with hundreds of fish species, sea turtles, mangroves, seagrass, nudibranchs and corals that some described as extremely rare.
Unfair competition
The local government explained the initiative aims to address the concerns of legitimate businesses that comply with regulations but face unfair competition from non-compliant establishments.
Having a valid mayor’s business permit “is not just a legal obligation but also a protection for the public and consumers,” the authorities stressed.
Municipal authorities warned the public about the disadvantages of supporting businesses without proper permits, which includes no guarantee of quality and safety of services or products and lack of oversight to ensure compliance with health, sanitation, and environmental standards; loss of tax revenue that should fund public services; and unfair competition against legitimate businesses that follow regulations and pay proper taxes.
They emphasized that supporting registered businesses with the proper permits means “better service quality and public safety.”
The municipality encouraged residents to report resorts or establishments violating the closure order.
