0.' li-' 
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SEVENTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE ) 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
)
First Regular Session 
)
•17 
FEB-1
RECEIVLUUV.
P4 27
SENATE
S.B. No. 1 3  1 1
(In Substitution of SB No. 866)
Prepared by the Committee on Trade, Commerce & Entrepreneurship joint with the 
Committee on Civil Service, Government Reorganization and Professional Regulation 
with Senators Recto, Aquino IV, Poe and Zubiri, as authors thereof.
AN ACT
ESTABLISHING A NATIONAL POLICY ON EASE OF DOING BUSINESS, 
CREATING FOR THE PURPOSE THE EASE OF DOING BUSINESS COMMISSION,
AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES
Be it enacted by the Senate and House o f Representatives o f the Philippines in 
Congress assembled.
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ARTICLE I
BASIC PRINCIPLES AND POLICIES
SECTION 1. S hort Title. -  This law shall be known as "Ease o f Doing Business Act o f 
2017".
SEC. 2. Declaration o f Policy. -  Article II, Section 20 of the Constitution states that: 
"The State recognizes the indispensable role of the private sector, encourages private 
enterprise, and provides incentives to needed investments." 
Pursuant to this, it is 
hereby declared the policy of the State to:
a) Provide a business environment that is conducive to the establishment and 
operation of businesses in the country;
b) Simplify business permit and licensing system procedures and streamline the 
requirements at the national and local levels; and
c) Promote transparency in government with regard to business registrations and 
other manner of transacting with the public to reduce red tape and expedite 
permitting, licensing and other similar transactions in government.


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business entity to engage in business transactions and/or activities as required 
by law;
m) Processing Time -  the time spent by an applicant from the submission of an 
application with complete requirements, accompanying documents and payment 
of fees to the receipt of a certification or such similar documents approving or 
disapproving the application for a license, clearance and/or permit;
n) Red tape - describes regulations and rules, administrative procedures and 
systems that are not effective in achieving their intended objectives and as a 
result produces suboptimal and undesired social outcomes;
o) Regulation - any legal instrument that gives effect to a government policy 
intervention and includes licensing, imposing information obligation, compliance 
to standards or payment of any form of fee, levy, charge or any other statutory 
and regulatory requirements necessary to carry out any business activity;
p) Secondary license and/or permit -  a certification, authority or accreditation 
issued to a registered business entity which authorizes them to engage in 
business activities as required by regulatory laws; and
q) Simple application -  application which only requires ministerial actions on the 
part of the business licensing and/or permitting office, or that which presents 
only inconsequential issues for resolution by the concerned office.
SEC. 4. Coverage. -  Other laws notwithstanding, this Act shall apply to all national 
government agencies and/or instrumentalities, and local government units involved in 
the issuance of licenses, clearances and/or permits to business entities.
ARTICLE I I
BUSINESS PERMITTING AND LICENSING REFORMS
SEC. 5. Requirements fo r License, Clearance a n d /o r Perm it Application. -  All
national government agencies and local government units issuing licenses, clearances 
and/or permit to business entities shall post a comprehensive checklist of requirements 
for every type of license, clearance and/or permit being issued. A uniform checklist of 
requirements required by licensing and permitting offices issuing a similar license, 
clearance and/or permit shall be established when applicable.


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SEC. 3. D efinition o f Terms. -  As used in this Act, the following terms shall mean:
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a) Applicant -  any natural or juridical entity set to engage or engaged in business
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who is applying for a license, clearance and/or permit;
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b) Business Entity -  any individual or juridical entity engaged in business in the
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Philippines;
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c) Business One-Stop Shop -  an arrangement where a single common site or
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location is designated for all concerned agencies in the Business Permit and
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Licensing System to receive and process applications for license, clearance
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and/or permit;
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d) Business Permit - a document issued by the Office of the Local Chief Executive of
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a city or municipality to a business entity allowing it to legally operate in the
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locality within a prescribed period;
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e) Business Registration -  a set of regulatory requirements that a start-up or
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business entity must comply with to engage in business, such as but not limited
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to, collection or preparation of a number of documentation, submission to
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government authorities, approval of application submitted, and receipt of a
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formal certificate or certificates, licenses, clearances, permits and similar
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documents which confirm the eligibility to operate as a legitimate business
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entity;
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f) Central Business Portal - a dedicated business Web portal that allows start-up
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and business entities to access a one-stop or single-entry point to submit
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applications and access business registration-related information;
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g) Charges -  a pecuniary liability, as rents or fees against persons or property;
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h) Clearance -  a document in a form of a certificate issued by a government agency
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and/or instrumentality to a business entity, which is a requisite for their business
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operations and/or transactions as required by law;
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i) Complex application -  application which necessitates inter-agency collaboration
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or multi-department involvement in the resolution of complicated issues by a
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business licensing, regulatory and/or permitting office as required by law;
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j) Fee -  a reasonable charge fixed by law or local ordinance for the regulation or
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inspection of a business or activity;
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k) License -  a permit or document issued by national government agencies
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necessary for starting and pursuing a business such as but not limited to primary
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license and secondary license;
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I) 
Primary license or primary franchise -  an initial issuance, authority or certification
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accorded by a government agency and/or instrumentality conferring a right to a


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The checklist of requirements, step-by-step procedure and schedule of fees for the 
issuance of a license, clearance and/or permit shall be conspicuously posted in the 
premises of national and local government licensing and permitting agencies and in the 
Business One Stop Shop or in areas designated by cities/municipalities. The same 
information shall likewise be posted online in the official website of national government 
agencies and local government units and shall be linked to the Central Business Portal.
Business entities shall be limited to submitting only the requirements provided in the 
checklist in the processing of an application. Provided, however. That in cases where 
additional documents are required, the business licensing and/or permitting office shall 
notify the applicant of the reasons he must comply with the submission of such 
documents.
SEC. 6. Prescribed Processing tim e fo r License, Clearance a n d /o r P erm it 
Applications. -  National government agencies and local government units involved in 
the processing and issuance of licenses, clearances and/or permits to business entities 
shall process the application of business entities and communicate the decision 
regarding approval or if the application has been disapproved, along with comments or 
reasons for such disapproval, within the prescribed processing time.
For business entities classified as Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) as 
defined in Section 3 of Republic Act No. 9501, the prescribed processing time shall in no 
case be longer than three (3) working days for simple applications and ten (10) working 
days for complex applications from the time the application is received.
For special type of businesses that require clearances, accreditation and/or licenses 
issued by government agencies including regulatory agencies as provided for by law 
where technical evaluation or such necessary condition is required in the processing of 
licenses, clearances and/or permits, the prescribed processing time shall in no case be 
longer than thirty (30) working days or as determined by the government agency or 
instrumentality concerned, whichever is shorter.
A national government agency and/or instrumentality or local government unit shall 
assign a unique identification number to an applicant that shall become the identifying 
number for all subsequent business registration-related transactions between the 
agency and the business entity. A reference number for each business registration


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related transaction shall also be provided to the applicant to track the status of an 
application, whether manually or electronically submitted.
SEC. 7. Autom atic Approval o f License, Clearance a n d /o r Perm it Applications.
-A n  application for a license, clearance and/or permit shall be deemed approved upon 
failure or inaction of the concerned national government agency or local government 
unit to process and issue the license, clearance and/or permit after the prescribed 
processing time has lapsed without informing the applicant of the error, omissions 
and/or additional documents required for submission. Provided, That all required 
documents have been submitted and all required fees and charges have been paid.
Provided, however. That in cases where the cause of delay is due to force majeure or 
natural or man-made disaster which may result to damage or destruction of documents, 
the prescribed processing time in the preceding Section shall be suspended and 
appropriate adjustments shall be made.
Provider further. That if the application for license, clearance and/or permit shall require 
the approval of the Sangguniang Bayan in the case of a municipality, Sangguniang 
Panlungsod in the case of a city or Sangguniang Panlalawigan in the case of a province, 
and the respective Sanggunain has denied the application, such case shall be exempt 
from the operation of Sections 6 and 7 of this Act.
SEC. 8. Extension o f License, Clearance a n d /o r P erm it Applications. -  The 
prescribed processing time for license, clearance and/or permit applications may be 
extended for a reasonable period when extraordinary due diligence in reviewing the 
qualifications and merit of the application is required. Provided, That the processing 
time shall only be extended once. Provided further. That the concerned national 
government agency or local government unit shall inform the applicant prior to the 
lapse of the prescribed processing time that an extension is required in evaluating the 
application.
SEC. 9. Requirements fo r Business Perm it Application. -  A single or unified 
business application form shall be used in processing new applications for business 
permits and business renewals which consolidates all the information of the applicant 
by various local government departments, such as but not limited to the local taxes and 
clearances, building clearance, sanitary permit, zoning clearance, and other specific


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local government unit requirements as the case may be, including the fire clearance 
from the Bureau of Fire Protection.
The unified form shall be made available online using technology-neutral platforms such 
as but not limited to the Central Business Portal or the city/municipality's website and 
various channels for dissemination.
SEC. 10. Validity o f Business P erm it -  Business permits shall be valid for a period 
of one (1) year. The city/municipality may have the option to renew business permits 
within the first month of the year or on the anniversary date of the issuance of the 
business permit.
SEC. 11. Computerized o r Software-enabled Business P erm it and Licensing 
System. -  Cities/municipalities shall, as far as practicable, automate their business 
permitting and licensing system (BPLS) or set up an electronic-Business One Stop Shop 
within a period of one (1) year upon the effectivity of this Act for a more efficient 
business registration.
The Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) shall make 
available to qualified local government units the software for the computerization of the 
BPLS. The DICT, Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) and the 
Department of Trade Industry (DTI) shall provide technical assistance in the planning 
and implementation of a computerized or software-enabled BPLS.
SEC. 12. Business One Stop Shop -  A one-stop business facilitation service, 
hereinafter 
referred 
to 
as 
the 
Business 
One 
Stop 
Shop 
(BOSS), 
for 
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city/municipality's business permitting and licensing system to receive and process 
manual and/or electronic submission of license, clearance and/or permit applications 
shall be established.
Municipalities and cities without electronic mechanism for submission and processing of 
permit, license and clearance applications shall set up a BOSS. There shall be a queuing 
mechanism in the BOSS to better manage flow of applications among the local 
government units' departments receiving and processing applications, including the 
Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP).


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Cities and municipalities with online mechanism for submission and processing of 
license, clearance and/or permit applications shall receive and process applications 
electronically. Downloadable and unified application form, comprehensive checklist of 
requirements, step-by-step procedures, and schedule of fees shall be made available 
online in the cities/municipalities' websites.
Provided, That to lessen the transaction requirements, other local clearances such as 
but not limited to sanitary permits, environmental and agricultural clearances shall be 
issued together with the business permit. Provided, further. That cities/municipalities 
which use manual signatures shall designate alternative signatories in the absence of 
the authorized approving authority. Provided, finally. That cities/municipalities with e- 
BOSS shall develop electronic versions of licenses, clearances and/or permits with the 
same level of authority, which may be printed by businesses in the convenience of their 
offices.
SEC. 13. Stream lined Procedures fo r Securing Fire Safety Clearance. -  For the
issuance of the Fire Safety Inspection Certificate (FSIC), the following shall be adopted 
to make business permitting more efficient:
a. Issuance of Fire Safety Clearance shall in no case be longer than thirty (30) 
working days;
b. For new business permit application, the FSIC already issued during the 
Occupancy Permit stage shall be sufficient as basis for the issuance of the FSIC 
for a business entity as a requirement for the business permit;
c. For renewal of business permit, the BFP shall present the FSIC to the 
city/municipality, either thru the copy of the FSIC or the negative/positive list. 
Provided, That the business entity shall inform the BFP and submit the necessary 
documentary requirements if renovations, 
modifications or any form of 
alterations are made to the original building structure thirty (30) days before the 
expiration of the business permit;
d. If the BFP fails to furnish the city/municipality with the FSIC or inform the same 
thru the negative/positive list, the business entity shall be deemed to have a 
valid FSIC and therefore, the basis for the renewal of the business permit;
e. The BFP or any of its officials or employees shall not sell, offer to sell, or 
recommend specific brands of fire extinguishers and other fire safety equipment;


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f. The BFP shall co-locate with the BOSS or in an appropriate area designated by 
the city/municipality within its premises to assess and collect the fire safety 
inspection fees;
g. The BFP may enter into agreements with cities/municipalities allowing the latter 
to be deputized as assessors and/or collecting agents for the fire safety 
inspection fees; and
h. The BFP may develop and adopt an online or electronic mechanism in assessing 
fees, collecting/accepting payments and sharing/exchange of other relevant data 
on business permit processing.
The pertinent provisions of Republic Act No. 9514, otherwise known as the Revised 
Fire Code of the Philippines of 2008, are hereby amended accordingly.
SEC. 14. Central Business P orta! -  To promote transparency and sustain ease in 
doing business, the DICT shall establish, through the Government Infrastructure, a 
cloud-native Central Business Portal or other similar technology as the DICT may 
prescribe which, shall serve as a central system to receive application and capture 
application data from business entities.
The Central Business Portal shall securely connect government agencies, such as but 
not limited to the DTI, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), the Cooperative 
Development Authority (CDA), regulatory agencies, and local government units to 
receive base or common business applicant data or information required for each 
agency to process applications, respectively, and through which each respective agency 
shall securely generate and issue digitally signed business license document.
SEC. 15. Philippine Business Registry Databank. -  Business licensing and/or 
permitting agencies such as but not limited to the DTI, SEC, CDA, BIR, and local 
government units shall access the Philippine Business Registry Databank to verify the 
validity, existence and other information relevant to a business entity.
The concerned national government agencies and all local government units shall 
periodically submit to the system updates relative to the information registered with 
them. The DICT, in consultation with the concerned agencies, shall develop and 
manage the Philippine Business Registry Databank and prescribe the data to be 
submitted by national government agencies and local government units.


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Submission of documents already provided by an applicant to an agency with access to 
the Philippine Business Registry Databank shall no longer be required by other agencies 
having similar access. The concerned agency shall crosscheck and retrieve the required 
information or document in the Philippine Business Registry Databank.
At the local government level, the City/Municipal BPLO shall not require the same 
documents already provided by the applicant to the local government departments in 
connection with other business-related license, clearance and/or permits such as but 
not limited to tax clearance, occupancy permit and barangay clearance.
SEC. 16. Regulatory Im p a ct Assessment. -  All proposed regulations of national 
government agencies and local government units shall undergo regulatory impact 
assessment to establish if the proposed regulation does not add undue regulatory 
burden and cost to business entities and national and local government agencies.
The Ease of Doing Business Commission, created under this Act, in coordination with 
other national government agencies and local government units, shall continue the 
review and repeal of existing executive issuances, and recommend the repeal of 
existing laws and local ordinances which are outdated, redundant, and adds undue 
regulatory burden to business entities.
ARTICLE I I I
INSTITUTIONAL STRUCTURES AND STRATEGIES
SEC. 17. N ational Policy on Ease o f Doing Business. -  There is hereby established 
a National Policy on Ease of Doing Business which shall refer to a comprehensive 
business registration and regulatory management policy to improve competitiveness 
and ease undue bureaucratic and regulatory burden to business entities.
SEC. 18. Ease o f Doing Business Commission. -  To ensure the attainment of the 
objectives of this Act, there is hereby created the Ease of Doing Business Commission, 
herein referred to as the Commission, which shall be organized within sixty (60) days 
after the effectivity of this Act. The Commission shall be the policy-making body on 
business registration and regulatory management and shall set the overall direction for 
the implementation of the National Policy on Ease of Doing Business.


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The Commission shall be the lead agency in the implementation of this Act and it shall
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be an attached agency to the Office of the President.
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SEC. 19. Powers and Functions. - The Commission shall have the following powers
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and functions:
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a) Plan, implement, and oversee a national policy on ease of doing business;
b) Receive complaints, institute investigations for violations of this Act;
c) Assist complainants in filing necessary cases without prejudice to the jurisdiction 
of the Civil Service and the Ombudsman as the case may be;
d) Facilitate the issuance of licenses, clearances and/or permit deemed approve by 
virtue of Section 7 of this Act;
e) Compel or petition any government agency, instrumentality or local government 
to issue the permit, license and/or clearance of business entities deemed 
approved by virtue of Section 7 of this Act;
f) Periodically review and assess the country's competitiveness performance, 
challenges and issues;
g) Recommend policies, processes and systems to improve regulatory management 
to increase the productivity, efficiency, and effectiveness of permitting and 
licensing agencies;
h) Conduct regulatory management training programs to capacitate national 
government agencies and local government units to comply with sound 
regulatory management practices;
i) Prepare regulatory management manuals for all government agencies and/or 
instrumentalities and LGUs;
j) Provide technical assistance, advisory opinions in the review of proposed national 
or local legislation, regulations or procedures;
k) Ensure the dissemination of and public access to information on regulatory 
management system and changes in laws and regulations relevant to the public 
by establishing the Philippine Business Regulations Information System;
l) Enlist the technical assistance of other national government agencies in the 
implementation of the powers and function provided for in this Act;
m) Propose legislation, amendments or modifications to Philippine laws related to 
ease of doing business;
n) Monitor and review the implementation of this Act including compliance of all 
concerned agencies and LGUs with the policies set herein;
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o) Formulate and amend when necessary the Implementing Rules and Regulations 
and the corresponding standards for good regulatory discipline; and
p) Generally perform such acts ay may be necessary, to attain the objectives of this 
Act.
SEC. 20. Composition o f the Commission. -  The Commission shall be composed of 
a Chairperson, the Secretary of the DTI and the Secretary of the Department of Finance 
(DOF) as ex-officio members, and one (1) private sector representative each for the 
MSME sector and large industry sector.
The private sector representatives shall be citizens and residents of the Philippines, of 
good moral character, of recognized probity and independence and must have 
distinguished themselves in the business sector they represent.
The ex-officio members of the Commission may designate their respective alternates in 
a permanent capacity who shall be at least Undersecretary in rank and their acts shall 
be considered the acts of their principals.
SEC. 21. Term o f Office. - The Chairperson and the two (2) private sector 
representatives shall be appointed by the President of the Philippines, shall serve for a 
term of three (3) years, and may be reappointed once.
SEC. 22. Chairperson o f the Commission. -  The Chairperson of the Commission 
shall be the head of the agency with the rank of a cabinet secretary. The Chairperson 
shall be a citizen and resident of the Philippines, of good moral character, of recognized 
probity and independence and must have distinguished himself professionally in the 
fields of commerce, domestic and international trade, management and other economic 
disciplines. 
Fie shall preside over the meetings of the Commission. 
Fie shall be the 
appointing authority of the employees and other officials of the Commission as provided 
for in existing laws, rules and regulations.
Sec. 23. Secretariat o f the Commission. — The Commission shall establish a 
Secretariat to assist them in the implementation of this Act and in the performance of 
their duties.
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The Commission shall establish an organizational structure including regional offices, as
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may be required to effectively carry out its powers and functions. The staffing pattern
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and compensation schedule of the Commission shall be drawn up in accordance with
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existing laws, rules and regulations.
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SEC. 24. Executive Director. -  The Secretariat of the Commission shall be headed by 
an Executive Director. He shall be appointed by the President of the Philippines from 
the list of nominees submitted by the Commission, shall serve for a term of three (3) 
years, and may be reappointed once. 
The Executive Director shall be a citizen and 
resident of the Philippines and must possess executive and management experience of 
at least three (3) years and with considerable exposure in the fields of commerce, 
domestic and international trade, and other economic disciplines.
ARTICLE IV
VIOLATIONS, PENALTIES AND CRIM INAL LIABILITIES
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SEC. 25. Violations. -  The following shall constitute a violation of this Act:
1. Refusal to accept application within the prescribed period or any document 
being submitted by the applicant. Provided that all required documents have 
been submitted and the necessary fees have been paid;
2. Failure to refer back to the applicant an application which, cannot be acted 
upon due to lack or incomplete requirements or non-payment of required fees 
and/or charges within the prescribed period;
3. Failure to act on an application despite the complete submission of 
requirements and payment of required fees and/or charges within the 
prescribed period;
4. 
Failure to give the applicant a written notice on the disapproval of an 
application within the prescribed period or inform the applicant of any error, 
omission and/or deficiency in the application;
5. Imposition of additional irrelevant requirements other than those provided by 
the concerned agency and/or local government unit.
SEC. 26. Penalty. - Penalties for the violations of the preceding section shall be as 
follows:
1. First offense -  Thirty (30) days suspension without pay;
2. Second Offense -  Three (3) months suspension without pay; and
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3. Third Offense -  Dismissal and perpetual disqualification to hold public office, 
cancellation of Civil Service eligibility, forfeiture of retirement benefits and 
one (1) to six (6) years imprisonment;.
Criminal liability will also attach once the violation was done deliberately and maliciously 
with the purpose of harassing the applicant and/or to solicit favor in cash or in kind. In 
such case, the provisions of the Revised Penal Code shall apply and such other 
applicable penal laws.
SEC 27. Persons Liable. -The head of office/agency or supervising officer designated 
to be the authorized and/or final signatory to the issuance of a license, permit and/or 
clearance shall be held liable and accountable in the implementation of this Act.
SEC. 28. Jurisdiction. -  The administrative jurisdiction on any violation of the 
provisions of this Act shall be vested either in the Civil Sen/ice Commission (CSC) and 
the Office of the Ombudsman whereas the criminal jurisdiction shall be vested with the 
appropriate courts as specified under applicable laws.
ARTICLE V
MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS
SEC. 29. Congressional O versight Committee. -  For the effective implementation 
of this Act, there shall be created a Congressional Oversight Committee on Ease of 
Doing Business, hereinafter referred to as the Committee, to be composed of five (5) 
members from the Senate, which shall include the Chairpersons of the Senate 
Committees on Trade and Commerce and Entrepreneurship, Civil Service Government 
Reorganization and Professional Regulation, and Economic Affairs; and five (5) 
members from the House of Representatives which shall include the Chairpersons of the 
House Committees on Trade and Industry, Civil Service Government Reorganization and 
Professional Regulation, and Economic Affairs. The Committee shall be jointly chaired 
by the Chairpersons of the Senate Committee on Trade and Commerce and 
Entrepreneurship and the House of Representatives Committee on Trade and Industry.
The Committee shall cease to exist five (5) years after its organization. Its functions, 
duties and responsibilities together with all of its records, shall be transferred to the 
Commission. Provided, That the Commission shall periodically submit reports on the
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implementation of this Act to Congress through the Senate Committee on Trade and 
Commerce and Entrepreneurship and the House Committee on Trade and Industry.
SEC. 30. Appropriations. — The amount of Twenty million pesos (P20,000,000) as 
initial funding for the Commission to be charged against the unexpended Contingency 
Funds of the Office of the President is hereby appropriated. Thereafter, the amount 
needed for the operation and maintenance of the Commission shall be included in the 
annual General Appropriations Act.
SEC. 31. Transitory Provision. -  All business regulatory management programs and 
business-related anti-red tape initiatives across government agencies shall 
be 
rationalized and the management thereof shall be transferred to the Commission. The 
DTI, the National Competitiveness Council (NCC), DOF, the Development Academy of 
the Philippines (DAP), the National Economic Development Authority (NEDA) shall 
submit to the Commission a report of the status of their respective projects related to 
business regulatory management.
The Commission, in consultation with the Competitiveness Bureau of the DTI shall 
determine the composition of the temporary Secretariat of the Commission. The 
teams/units involved in regulatory improvement and/or ease of doing business-related 
programs of the DTI-Competitiveness Bureau shall serve as temporary Secretariat of 
the Commission until such time that its organizational structure is determined. Provided, 
That the DTI-Competitiveness Bureau shall serve as Secretariat to the Commission for 
no longer than six (6) months upon the effectivity of this Act.
SEC. 32. Transition from  M anual to Software-Enabled Business Registration.
- The DICT, in coordination with the members of the Commission, iocal government 
units and other concerned agencies, shall within one (1) year after the effectivity of this 
Act develop the necessary software and technology-neutral platforms and secured 
infrastructure for the implementation of this Act.
SECTION 33. Im plem enting Rules and Regulations. -  The Commission, in 
consultation 
with 
concerned 
government agencies, 
private 
sector, 
and 
other 
stakeholders, shall issue the implementing rules and regulations of this Act within ninety 
(90) days after the effectivity of this Act.
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SECTION 34. Separability Clause. -  If any part or provision of this Act is declared 
as unconstitutional or invalid, the other provisions, which are not affected, shall 
continue to be in full force and effect.
SECTION 35. Repealing Clause. -  All laws, executive orders, decrees, rules and 
regulations, or any part thereof inconsistent with the provisions of this Act are deemed 
repealed, amended or modified accordingly.
SECTION 36. 
Effectivity. -  This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its 
complete publication in at least two (2) newspapers of general circulation.
Approved,
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