By Joseph Pedrajas The local government of Quezon City has modified its building permit application process by launching an online application scheme. Quezon City Logo (MANILA BULLETIN) Mayor Joy Belmonte on Monday said the city's Department of Building Official (DBO) "has devised an online application and appointment system for permit applications and processing to limit public contact" as it moved "to adapt to the new normal" amid the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) crisis. DBO head Dale Perral said that a permit applicant should first secure an appointment, and have their permit processed and approved online through dbo-af.quezoncity.gov.ph. Upon the applicant's arrival at City Hall, Perral said, building plans and documents which are required to be submitted will have to undergo disinfection procedures using Germicidal Ultraviolet (UV) Light or UV-C spectrum "as an added safety measure." “No document shall be received without undergoing the said disinfection procedure,” he noted. "As part of DBO’s quasi-judicial functions...all complaints pertaining to possible violations of the National Building Code of the Philippines are now subject to summary procedures similar to the summary rules of the Rules of Court. "After the necessary ocular inspections are conducted, concerned parties will be required to submit their respective Position Papers thereafter, the issues shall be resolved accordingly,” Perral said, adding that "the new procedure will do away with face-to-face administrative hearings between concerned parties," the QC government said. The DBO has also created its own Centralized Communications Unit (CCU) where all requests, complaints and queries about matters concerning the office are received and properly addressed online through the department’s e-mail address [email protected]. Recently, the DBO introduced another procedure where permit applicants no longer have to make two separate office visits, particularly at the City Planning and the Bureau of Fire offices, to secure the Locational Clearance and Fire Clearance certificates. “Applicants can now directly visit the Department of Building Official via online appointment schedule and submit all necessary documents. The DBO will then transmit the applications to the concerned Offices, thereby saving them at least four separate visits to the Quezon City Hall,” Perral explained. The DBO is currently planning to include online submission of documents through Portable Document Format (PDF) to avoid physical submission of required documents and to launch an online payment system for permit fees.