By Ely Nino M. Azuelo and Resa Jane B. Solidarios JD1 (SY 2020-2021)
I. Abstract
The process of Business Permits in every Local Government Unit has always been a handful since there are requirements needed to comply upon renewal or application. The whole process is already tiring not to mention the assessment of fees needed to be paid. With the advancement of technology leading us to a convenient and hassle-free transactions, it is inevitable that conforming with the latest development like Mobile Application and Database Management System, these will serve as reliefs for visiting numerous offices to process and pay requirements, travel expenses and endless queue under the heat of the sun. Through this advancement, the business owners will be able to view the assessments from different government sectors in preparation for the processing and payments of such documents needed for the Business Permits. This will help lessen the burden of business owners in a way of not being obliged to visit the various offices any longer but being able to view such requirements in a few clicks. Moreover, on the part of the Local Government Unit, the Mobile Application and Database Management System will mitigate the redundancy of being questioned regarding the assessment for the processing of such documents. As this shift of the Local Government Unit makes beneficial to the business owners and Local Government Unit, its sustainability is being held as the most vital of its implementation.
II. Introduction
Database Management System has been widely used by different offices as it promotes convenience, accuracy, and an innovative approach of collection of data and records. This system tends to be a solution for safety keeping and management of reports that is vital to every organization. Government Agencies as well as Local Government Units turning paperless transactions and as retrieval of information being at the tip of the finger of every employee.
As LGUs oversee local governance in cities and provinces, it would create an improvement on the procedures, processes and the linkages between the Government and the citizens. And in this modern time, adapting with what is new has always been the norm. With the recent technological advancements, LGUs are slowly transforming their role in serving the people and public administration.
A part of overseeing the city, the LGUs also have the key responsibility in every beginning of the year, the Renewal of Business Permit from different establishments. Endless lines and the scorching heat of the sun is always unbearable and agonizing. Thus, this paper will focus on the application of Database Management System in the process of Business Permit of the Local Government towards sustainability.
III. Objectives
This study aims to determine what are the advantages of Database Management System and the sustainability of the LGU of La Carlota City
Specifically, this study focuses on the following objectives:
- To determine the advantages of Database Management System.
- To determine if the Database Management System is an aid in Business Permit processing during the pandemic.
- To determine how the Local Government Unit sustain the Database Management System.
IV. Methodology
Research Design
The Research Design used is Descriptive Research, wherein the researchers compare the circumstances affecting convenience when processing for business permits brought about by the conventional processing or the proposed database management
Data Gathering Procedure
The researchers gathered necessary data by giving out survey forms in various government offices involved in the processing of business permits. The respondents include business owners of La Carlota City and government employees in charge with the Business Permits and Licensing Office of La Carlota City, they were then asked to compare the circumstances between the process of renewal or applying for business permits in a conventional way and the proposed database management system that will address the concerns in terms of convenience.
Business Owners
The researchers focus on questions that consists on whether the business owner apply for a renewal or for new application, knowledge on database management system, and what would be the benefits of database management system throughout the process of Business Permit and how it would help them during the application.
- Are you a new applicant?
- Do you have knowledge about Database Management System?
- Will Database Management System be of convenience in your end?
- Will database management system help you save time in processing Business Permit?
- Will database management system help you save money?
- Will database management system give you security against Covid19 during the process?
Government Employees
This survey aims to determine what are the advantage on the part of the Government employees under the Business Permit and Licensing Office of La Carlota City, benefits for the Local Government Unit and how they would sustain the Database Management System.
- Is there an existing database management system for Business Permit processing?
- Will database management system be of convenience as a Government Employee?
- Will database management system help you save time in performing your duties and responsibilities as a Government Employee?
- Will database management help the Local Government Unit save money?
- Is there an existing memorandum, law, or ordinance in sustaining database management system?
V. Discussion
We started late in terms of conducting the survey, we had made sure to have conducted it on January, on the month when the renewal of business permits is at its busiest in order to have a number of respondents to be interviewed. And later on, we decided to look for business owners applying for the first time as additional respondents for our study. This is to widen the scope of our study but we interviewed more respondents who processed for renewals than those who applied for new permits since the burden of the processing of business permits is worst every January, or during the period of renewals.
Figure 1. Business Owner’s Response to Type of Application
Figure 1 shows that 80% of the respondents are applying business permit for renewal while the other 20% are new applicants. There is a higher percentage for renewal of permits than new applicants since it shows that this pandemic had also an effect on businesses, financially.
Figure 2. Business Owner’s Response on Knowledge to Database Management System
Figure 2 shows that 70% of the respondents came across the concept of Database Management System and the other 30% are not fully aware of it. After the survey, Business owners having knowledge on DBMS, have used this in their cash transactions and eager to look for other innovative Database Management Systems that would make their business easier.
Figure 3. Business Owner’s Response on Database Management System’s convenience.
Figure 3 shows that 70% of Business owners agree that it would be more convenient using the Database Management System in the process of Business Permit, while the other 30% is of the opposite. Convenience is one factor that they would look into as they would want easier way throughout the process.
Figure 4. Business Owner’s Response on Database Management System’s advantage in saving time.
Figure 4 shows that DBMS would be time efficient for 70% of the business owners while the remaining 30% does not agree.
Figure 5. Business Owner’s Response on Database Management System’s advantage in saving money.
Figure 6. Business Owner’s Response on Database Management System’s in line with the safety protocols against Covid19.
Figure 6 shows that majority of the Business Owners think that Database Management System being a convenient way of saving money and time efficient would make the process faster and would minimize close contact to possible COVID19 patients.
Also, talking with the government employees assigned on the processing of business permits gave us the idea that most of them are not well-knowledgeable on computers and technologies. Although they want the process of business permit to be easy and fast, they are constrained on the fact that they might be left behind by being not that much of technologically advanced as compared to the younger employees. But according to the way they answered, they are tired of the conventional processing system and want it to be changed despite the challenge of it being technology dependent and requiring computer skills one need to enhance or develop. In short, they are still willing to learn for this just to mitigate the complexities and inconvenience on the part of both the business owners and government employees.
Figure 7. Government Employees’ Response on Database Management System’s existence in Business Permit Processing
Figure 7 shows that all of the Government Employees under the Business Permit and Licensing Office in the Local Government Unit of La Carlota City agree that there is no existing database management that would serve the purpose of this study.
Figure 8. Government Employees’ Response on convenience of Database Management System
Figure 9. Government Employees’ Response on Time Efficiency of Database Management System
Figure 10. Government Employees’ Response on saving Government Fund through Database Management System
Figure 11. Government Employees’ Response on existing Memorandum, Law or Ordinance in the Sustainability of LGU of La Carlota City in implementing Database Management System
These instances motivated us to work well with our Research study since it will address long existing concerns of business owners and government employees in every Local Government Unit.
VI. Conclusion/Analysis/Findings
As a result of the conducted test, processing for the business permit, although once a year, brings challenges to the business owners in terms of convenience since it involves different government offices some located adjacent from each other, while most are at a distant. In addition, more than hundreds of business owners are processing altogether at the same day in order to avoid operating illegally due to absence of a valid business permit. And this is the main concern of most of the business owners, preparing for a number of documents and having to go back and forth to different offices.
The results of the survey entail that most of the business owners are processing their permits for Renewal and most of them has a knowledge of the Database Management System as it is being used in their daily cash transactions. They are familiar with the concept and majority would agree that it would be an advantage since it is convenient and will save their money and lessen their expenses. The Database Management System will also lessen their physical contact with possible COVID 19 patients by only doing the process with a computer or a machine provided it being sanitized after use.
Also, in times of pandemic, the processing of business permits gives risks to the health of those who process for it. Respondents, or the business owners, claim that aside from the tiring process, what constraints them from processing on-time is the tendency of getting exposed to nCoV. Minimum health protocols are not properly implemented, but are only adding to the pain of the processing.
And on the part of the government employees tasked to process the business permits, the results of the survey imply that there is no existing database management system that would be of convenient and will help them perform their duties and responsibilities. It will not save money in the perspective of Government employees because the purchase of Database Management System is expensive and that there is no existing memorandum, law or ordinance in sustaining it.
The processing of business permits is the busiest period of the year yields to a number of documents needed to be done before its deadline comes. Also, the pandemic makes this process more difficult since the government employees are required to put the documents under UV light to ensure that they are well-disinfected.
Although the presence of one stop shops has ease the pain of this process, an innovation of paperless processing is being suggested to mitigate the burden of limited business owners allowed to process in a day.
VII. Recommendations
Shifting into database management system will lessen face-to-face transactions and will convert the processes into a paperless system. The application of such management system will address most of the challenges that the conventional process of renewal and new application of business permits give to the business owners and government employees. More importantly, shifting into database management system will lessen the cost of the printing of documents if not totally extinguished.
Strict implementation of a city ordinance in establishing and maintaining a standardized database management system is one way to address the existing concerns of business owners and government employees in processing for renewal and new application for business permits. This database management system will save the business owners’ information, and will only require for their payment and will eventually print the official receipt of the payment of all the transactions done and the permit needed to operate and run the business. In short, a paperless electronic one stop shop. Thus, this will mitigate the processes on the part of business owners and also on the government offices, and will limit the whole process in just a few clicks.
A city ordinance for the shifting into database management system must include the budgetary requirement needed to create and introduce this major innovation to our government offices, to design training programs for employees especially assigned to operate the system, and to hire experts to keep track of the records and maintain the security of the system. And most importantly, this city ordinance, in order for the shift into database management system be sustained, must be strictly implemented.
In fact, a successful shift into this innovative system will give out a result of a high possibility that a new database management system will be introduced to cater not just business owners but all the residents of a specific LGU as well. This will store the information of individuals native to the city or are transferees, from the moment of their birth up to their death, including their records essential to the processing of clearances involving local government offices. Thus, this will lessen the processes of an individual, with respect to the distance among various local government offices that one needs to visit in order to secure requirements such as but not limited to barangay clearance, police clearance, and business permits.
VIII. Bibliography
https:// www.bmc.com/blogs/dbms-database-management-systems/
https:// searchsqlserver.techtarget.com/definition/database-management-system
https:// www.guru99.com/what-is-dbms.html
https:// www.acronymfinder.com/Business-Permit-and-Licensing-Office-(Philippines)-(BPLO).html
https:// ppp.gov.ph/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/Steps-in-Securing-Business-Permits.pdf
https:// www.ykclaw.ph/business-permit-requirements-philippines/
https:// cedar.wwu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1364&context=wwuet
IX. Acknowledgment
This research paper shall not be successful without the help of the Almighty God for giving us the knowledge in the fulfillment of our Legal Research subject and to our Legal Research adviser, Atty. Jocelle Batapa-Sigue, for guiding us and sharing your expertise throughout this course.
Our heartfelt gratitude to the Local Government Unit of La Carlota City Business Permit and Licensing Office for providing us vital information and for being hospitable and cooperative with our study. To our family, for supporting us financially, being our inspiration from the beginning and the end of our study, and for our strength in pursuing our journey towards the end of the semester.
X. Glossary of Terms
Business Owner – one who individually or with partners is in control of monetary and operational decision-making, we are talking about a true sense of ownership.
Business Permit – A legal document that offers proof of compliance with certain city or state laws regulating structural appearances and safety as well as the sale of products.
Business Permit and Licensing Office – a public office that manages the process of Business Permit in Local Government Unit
Database Management System – is a software for storing and retrieving users’ data while considering appropriate security measures. It consists of a group of programs which manipulate the database. The DBMS accepts the request for data from an application and instructs the operating system to provide the specific data. In large systems, a DBMS helps users and other third-party software to store and retrieve data.
Government Employee – any employee, including independent contractors, of the state executive branch, the state legislative branch, a state agency, a public institution of higher education, or any local government, except a member of the general assembly or a public officer.
Law – are institutional units whose fiscal, legislative and executive authority extends over the smallest geographical areas distinguished for administrative and political purposes.
Local Government Unit – are institutional units whose fiscal, legislative and executive authority extends over the smallest geographical areas distinguished for administrative and political purposes.
Memorandum – a written report that is prepared for a person or committee in order to provide them with information about a particular matter
Ordinance – a law set forth by a governmental authority specifically a municipal regulation
Philippine Legal Research 