Events
Whether an event in the Philippines needs a special permit depends less on its size than on where it happens and what happens at it. The city issues the permit, but the offices it asks you to clear first are the real checklist. This is how it works in Makati, where we are based, checked against the city’s Citizen’s Charter on 14 September 2026.
Who issues the permit
The rule behind it is Section 4A.05 of the Revised Makati Revenue Code: anyone who wants to carry on a business, trade or activity in the city applies to the Mayor for the corresponding permit first. In practice, special permits come from the Office of the City Administrator, and the city’s Citizen’s Charter lists a separate special permit, each with its own checklist, for:
→ Shows and screenings: music festivals, concerts and similar activities; movie premieres, screenings, plays and recitals.
→ Selling: special sales, temporary table set-ups, holiday carts and pop-up stores; bazaars; tiangge; the sale of firecrackers.
→ Games and sport: bingo and raffles; sports tournaments.
→ On the road: motorcades; fun runs and marathons.
→ Everything else: film and photo shoots; fireworks displays.
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Separate special permits in Makati’s Citizen’s Charter, each with its own list of requirements. Find the one that matches your event before you collect anything.
What the city asks for
The fullest checklist belongs to music festivals and concerts. It asks for:
→ A request letter addressed to the City Administrator, with the city’s application form.
→ A barangay permit from the barangay where the event takes place.
→ A certification from the venue where the event is booked.
→ Certifications from the offices that clear the activity: the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP), PNP-Makati, the city’s Public Safety Department, the Makati Health Department, and MADAC or PDEA, plus the disaster risk reduction office or CAAP if a drone will fly.
→ Ticket stamping at the City Treasurer’s Miscellaneous Section, if tickets are sold.
Once those are in hand, the city’s own steps are short: submit the letter and attachments, pay the regulatory fee at the Miscellaneous Division, and bring the official receipt back for signing. The charter counts each of those steps in minutes. The certifications from the other offices are not on that clock, so start with them.
What adds to the list
| If the event… | Makati’s charter adds |
| Closes a road or blocks a sidewalk | A permit from the Public Safety Department |
| Sits inside the Makati Central Business District | A permit from the Makati Commercial Estate Association (MACEA), for sales, pop-ups, tiangge, shoots, motorcades and runs |
| Flies a drone | Clearance from CAAP or the Makati disaster risk reduction office. CAAP also requires every drone used for commercial work to be registered |
| Has fireworks | A BFP permit, a PNP licence to deal in pyrotechnics, and a notarised undertaking that a PNP-licensed person will supervise |
| Runs a raffle or bingo | A barangay permit or a certification from the venue |
| Sells tickets | Stamping of the tickets by the City Treasurer |
| Follows a route | A route map, and a permit from each barangay on it |
Every city is different
This is Makati’s process, from its Citizen’s Charter (2nd edition, the version published on makati.gov.ph), checked on 14 September 2026. Other cities publish their own charters with their own lists. Read the one for the city your venue is in, then call the office before you print anything.
The simple case: a private event in a venue
Makati ties its special permits to activities: shows, selling, games, roads, shoots and fireworks. A private function inside a licensed venue, such as a company dinner or a year-end party, may not match any of them. It is one of the practical differences between a public event and a private event. Add a raffle or a drone, though, and the event picks up those requirements. Our guide to planning a company Christmas party covers the rest of that case.
Where PUNX fits
We are based in Makati: 50-plus people, founded 2023, with P&G, San Miguel, Petron, GCash and Sun Life on our client list. Permits are part of what an events company should handle for you. Before you sign with anyone, ask who files them, whose name goes on the application, and what happens to the date if a certification is late.
FAQ
Who issues special event permits in Makati?
The Office of the City Administrator. Makati’s Citizen’s Charter lists separate special permits for concerts and music festivals, screenings and recitals, special sales and pop-up stores, bazaars, tiangge, bingo and raffles, sports tournaments, motorcades, fun runs and marathons, shoots, fireworks displays and the sale of firecrackers.
What does a concert or music festival need in Makati?
A request letter to the City Administrator, the city’s application form, a barangay permit, a certification from the venue, and certifications from the BFP, PNP-Makati, the Public Safety Department, the Makati Health Department and MADAC or PDEA. Add CAAP or disaster-office clearance if a drone will fly, and ticket stamping if tickets are sold.
Do you need a permit to fly a drone at an event in the Philippines?
Makati’s special permits ask for clearance from CAAP or the city’s disaster risk reduction office when a drone is used, and CAAP requires drones used for commercial work to be registered.
Does a private company event need a special permit?
Makati ties its special permits to activities such as ticketed shows, selling, raffles, shoots, fireworks and road use. A private function inside a licensed venue may not match any of them. Ask the venue and the Office of the City Administrator before you assume either way.
Related
Brand activation and events — what PUNX runs, and how
Public events — open to anyone, and the permits that come with that
Company Christmas party planning — what to book when
Running an event in Makati?
Tell us the venue, the date and what happens on the day. We will tell you which permits it needs before you book anything.
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