ILOILO CITY, Feb. 1 -- Iloilo City has recorded a good turnout in business permit renewals as it registered a 15-percent increase compared with the same period last year.

In an interview Thursday, Local Economic Development and Investment Promotion (LEDIP) Office head Velma Lao said the city's Business Permit and Licensing Division (BPLD) issued 14,473 business renewal permits from Jan. 1 to 31 this year, or about 1,900 higher than the 12,593 in the same period in 2023.

"That indicates a good, vibrant economy. We should maintain this vibrancy of our economy. We support local businesses, and we continue to bring in new people, tourists, relatives, OFWs (overseas Filipino workers), and friends to patronize our businesses here," Lao said....