ENTREPRENEURS applying for business permits in Quezon City can now identify as non-binary after the city introduced a new feature in its QC Biz Easy platform, a move aimed at making government services more inclusive and responsive.
The enhancement to the QC Biz Easy platform enables entrepreneurs who don't want to use male or female as a representation of themselves when applying for business permits.
City officials said the update also improves the quality of government data, helping the local government design policies, programs, and services that better reflect the needs of the business community.
Mayor Joy Belmonte said over the weekend that inclusive governance means ensuring that every resident can access government services with dignity, respect, and equal opportunity.
“The true measure of innovation is not how advanced a system becomes, but how many people it empowers,” Belmonte said.
She added that making the business permit process more inclusive enables more entrepreneurs to participate in the city’s economic growth while accessing government services that recognize their identities.
The enhancement fulfills a commitment made by the city during the 2025 QC LGBTIQ+ Business Summit, where officials pledged to review the online business permit system and improve the process of capturing information on non-binary business owners.
According to the city’s Business Permits and Licensing Department (BPLD), Quezon City may be among the first local government units in the Philippines to include a non-binary gender option in its business permit application form.
The city said the initiative forms part of its broader digital transformation agenda, which seeks to make government transactions not only faster and more efficient but also more accessible and representative of the communities they serve.
Officials added that a more inclusive data collection process will enable the city to craft evidence-based policies and business support programs that respond more effectively to entrepreneurs' realities.
According to city officials, the latest enhancement underscores the city's efforts to modernize public services while ensuring that innovation benefits a broader and more diverse business community.
