(Photo courtesy of Bacolod City Communications Office)
BACOLOD CITY, Philippines – The Department of Energy (DOE) has sought the assistance of the Bacolod City government in ensuring that gasoline stations secure the required Certificate of Compliance (COC) before operating or renewing their business permits.
The move followed a recent inspection of 27 randomly selected liquid fuel retail outlets (LFROs) across the city, which found that some establishments were operating without the necessary DOE certification.
In a statement released by the city government on Friday, DOE-Visayas Field Office Oil Industry Management Division Chief Jose Rey Maleza emphasized that securing a local business permit does not automatically authorize gasoline stations to sell petroleum products.
“Having a local business permit does not automatically mean that a gasoline station or liquefied petroleum gas establishment is registered and compliant with DOE requirements,” Maleza said.
The DOE urged the city’s Business Permits and Licensing Office to strengthen coordination with energy regulators and ensure that gasoline stations obtain the required COC before their business permits are issued or renewed.
On Thursday, Maleza met with Secretary to the Mayor Jose Marty Go to present the agency’s inspection findings and discuss compliance concerns requiring coordinated action from the local government and other agencies.
Despite the findings, Maleza commended Bacolod City for regularly monitoring gasoline stations and enforcing industry regulations.
“Bacolod is one of the highly urbanized cities in the Visayas that regularly monitors our gasoline stations,” he said.
The City Treasurer’s Office currently leads the monitoring of fuel retail establishments, with personnel inspecting three to four gasoline stations every weekday.
According to the City Treasurer’s Office Revenue Inspection and Miscellaneous Services Section, Bacolod has 142 gasoline stations.
The DOE’s initiative aims to strengthen regulatory compliance among fuel retailers and ensure that petroleum products are sold only by duly registered and authorized establishments.
