Doing Business in Quezon City

Polly and Ais has talked me into securing our BIR Registration (which is OK since I haven't had the chance to get my hands dirty with the papers yet). This was a few weeks ago and I still ain't able to set my foot on the BIR office because of the Mayor's Permit prerequisite.

I won't go into all the details here but all I can say is that securing the permit from the Mayor's office is a two-fold story of frustration and triumph.

Now, I'm well aware of the widespread corruption in our government offices. What I'm not previously aware of is how tolerated they are. Needless to say, I almost fell victim to these schemes. And sadly, for a time I felt hopeless for the country in general because of this experience.

The good news was that we were assisted by one of the personnel from the City Hall's COA office. She walked me through most of the stages of the process, talking to the other staff along the way, ensuring that I won't be experiencing another horror story.

After a few days of walking in the halls, staring at the Quezon memorial in despair, treading Elliptical Road, and having sidetrips to PhilCoA and TriNoMa, we finally was able to secure our Mayor's Permit.

Ta-da!

It's a product of sweat and tears. Next step: Kawanihan ng Rentas Internas, Quezon Avenue.