Frequently Asked Questions

No. BetterLegazpi.org is an independent volunteer project. It is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or operated by the City Government of Legazpi. The official city website is legazpi.gov.ph.

What we do is reorganise information the city already publishes, mainly its Citizen's Charter, so it is easier to search and read. If anything here disagrees with an official city source, the official source is correct. For anything that affects a decision, confirm it with the office concerned.

Service details, fees and processing times come from the city's published Citizen's Charter. We are still checking each entry line by line against the published document, so services that have not been checked yet are labelled Unverified in search results and on the office pages. That label means we transcribed it but have not confirmed it, not that we think it is wrong.

Fees and requirements do change, and a charter can be updated before we notice. Treat what you read here as a guide to what to expect and who to ask, not as a final quotation.

The City Hall is open Monday to Friday, 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM, with a lunch break from 12:00 PM to 1:00 PM. It is closed on weekends and on national and local holidays.

Visit our Government Directory page to find contact information for all city offices and department heads.

Some can. Business permit applications and renewals, business billing, and real property tax billing and payment can be started online through the city's Filipizen portal. Building permit and certificate of occupancy applications have published step-by-step guides, but you still complete them in person. Most other services are still in person only. Each service category page lists what is available online for that category, and says plainly whether a link is a working portal, a guide, or a payment channel.

For birth certificates registered in Legazpi City, it typically takes 15-30 minutes while you wait, provided the record is readily available.

Yes, but they must bring:

• An authorization letter signed by you
• Valid ID of both you and the representative
• Photocopy of your valid ID

Both are certified true copies. PSA certificates are the nationally-recognized version required for passport and visa applications. Local civil registrar certificates are accepted for most local transactions and are often processed faster.

Business permits must be renewed annually, preferably in January. The deadline for penalty-free renewal is typically January 20th of each year.

To start a new business, you'll need:

• DTI Registration (for sole proprietorship) or SEC Registration (for corporation)
• Barangay Clearance
• Community Tax Certificate (Cedula)
• Location Sketch/Map
• Contract of Lease (if renting)

Visit our Business Permit page for complete details.

The City Treasurer's Office accepts cash payments in person. Real property tax and business billing can also be paid online through the city's Filipizen portal. Fees for individual services are listed on that service's page, taken from the city's published Citizen's Charter.

Visit the City Treasurer's Office at the City Hall with your Tax Declaration or latest Official Receipt. Payment is in cash. Property taxes are due quarterly, but you may pay annually to avail of discounts.

Go to the City Social Welfare and Development Office (CSWDO) with:

• Birth Certificate or any valid ID showing your age (60 and above)
• 1x1 ID photo
• Barangay Residence Certificate

The ID is issued for free.

Senior citizens enjoy 20% discount and VAT exemption on purchases (with a minimum purchase amount per establishment), priority lanes, and access to special programs and medical assistance from the city government.

Thank you for helping us improve! Please send us message at volunteer@betterlegazpi.org and write "Website Issue" as the subject. Describe the problem and include the page URL if possible.

Yes! BetterLegazpi is fully responsive and optimized for mobile phones, tablets, and desktop computers.

BetterLegazpi.org is maintained by Rye Belen, a Bicolano public health professional turned management consulting analyst, working at the intersection of technology, public health, and civic innovation. He has led digital initiatives across provincial youth networks, national government authorities, and global consulting firms.

Rye volunteers with BetterGov.ph, a volunteer-driven civic-tech effort focused on improving access to local government information and services in the Philippines. He maintains BetterLegazpi.org as a free, open-source public service for his home province.

Nobody is paid for this work, and the site carries no advertising. It is released under MIT and CC BY 4.0, and contributions are warmly welcomed from everyone; whether you are a developer, data researcher, designer, content writer, translator, or a concerned citizen of Legazpi City, your participation helps shape the project for all.

BetterLegazpi.org began as a fork of BetterSolano.org, a civic-tech site built for LGU Solano, Nueva Vizcaya, which was then retrofitted for Legazpi City. We are grateful for that groundwork.

BetterSolano.org was created by Ramon Logan Jr., who is also the developer behind Abakada.org, HelloPinas.com, and HIVCare. Based in the United Arab Emirates, he works in IT and practices full-stack development, building practical digital solutions in web development, design, cloud services, and cybersecurity. He contributes to BetterGov.ph and is an individual participant of the OpenJS Foundation, a nonprofit supporting open-source JavaScript communities worldwide.