MANILA, Philippines -- The Quezon City (QC) government has given the city’s establishment owners six months to install closed-circuit television cameras (CCTV) in their premises.

Mayor Herbert Bautista directed business permit and licensing office (BPLO) chief Pacifico Maghacot to implement a no-CCTV no-business permit policy starting next year as deterrent to criminal activities.

Quezon City Police District (QCPD) Director Chief Superintendent George Regis said the installation of CCTV is a big boost to the peace and order campaign of the police particularly in minimizing crime incidence especially car theft and kidnapping.

Bautista asked Maghacot to give priority in the CCTV requirement to all high-risk establishments like car dealership stores, both high-end and trade-ins, schools, convenience stores, gasoline stations and banks.

The mayor said the adoption of the new policy will make CCTV installation a pre-requisite when applying or renewing business permit in the city starting January 2012.

However, Bautista said that starting August, BPLO will conduct inspections in establishments which were given business permits this year to check on their compliance with the CCTV requirement.

“We will strictly implement the new policy on CCTV. No CCTV installation, no business permit,” Bautista added.

Aside from high-risk establishments, Bautista had earlier called the city’s 142 barangays to also set up CCTV cameras in key areas of the community. He directed them to tap their calamity fund for this purpose.

The mayor has vowed to install CCTV cameras over the next three years along strategic areas in the city specifically on densely-populated communities to further improve the city’s crime resolution and efficiency rate.

He said that CCTV will be a great help in improving the city’s road networks, particularly entry and exit points and in assisting the police in its peace-zzzzkeeping efforts.