Quezon City mayoral candidate and Anakalusugan Partylist Representative Mike Defensor said on Sunday, April 24, that around one million private sector employees are expected to benefit from his plan of cancelling the “occupational permit” requirement in the city if he wins in the upcoming May 9 elections.
“Right now, workers in Quezon City are forced to spend around P1,000 every year and endure at least a day without work and without pay just so they can renew their local occupational permit. They will be spared from the costly hassle once we abolish the permit,” Defensor said.
“We maintain that the occupational permit is absolutely unnecessary. It is just one of the many ways by which the local government is unfairly charging fees for minor services so that the incumbent mayor can report huge savings and look good,” he added.
Defensor previously vowed to scrap the occupational permit, a requirement to work in the city, in his first 100 days if elected as mayor. The permit fee costs P170 each.
“Based on our estimate, the city government collects from our workers a total of up to P432 million in annual fees out of the occupational permit. Our workers can keep the P432 million in their pockets once we discard the permit,” he said
The solon added that workers are compelled to spend much more to comply with the requirements that include a local health certificate, stool and sputum, community tax certificate or cedula, and others.
“Pati sa pagdalo ng HIV/AIDS seminar, sinisingil ang mga empleyado na kumukuha ng occupational permit. Pinagbabayad ng P50 bawat isa. Ito ay kalokohan (Even on attending HIV/AIDS seminars, employees are charged to obtain occupational permits. It costs P50 each. It is nonsense,” he said.
“The local government is obliged to inform and educate the public on all matters affecting their welfare and interest. Why should people have to pay P50 each just to attend a seminar that should be provided for free?” he added.