DTI seeks suspension of Chinese-only food establishment

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) has called for the suspension of the China Food City food park in Las Piñas City, which allegedly serves only Chinese customers, for lack of necessary permits to operate.

“We called for the suspension, but it is the (local government unit or LGU) that will suspend because the permit issuance is devolved to them,” Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez said via Viber message yesterday.

Lopez said if the LGU does not comply, the DTI would intervene.

The call to suspend China Food City’s operations was made following Lopez’s surprise inspection of the food park yesterday.

During the inspection, Lopez said there were Filipino customers being served in the area.

While no discrimination was taking place, the DTI team only saw the license and permit of a business under MFD Cuisine in the area.

It was also observed that the stalls in the food park had different receipts and these were in Chinese characters.

The DTI said the different receipts meant the stalls did not have the proper business permits and official receipts from the Bureau of Internal Revenue.

Proper sanitation permits as well as proper waste disposal and waste treatment facility at the food park were also not visible.

While the inspection was being undertaken, the DTI team saw about five foreign-looking individuals running through the backdoor, suggesting they did not have the proper workers’ permits.

Lopez has asked Las Piñas Business Permits and Licensing Office chief Wilfredo Gaerlan to attend to all the deficiencies and to issue a suspension of operations while the necessary permits are being obtained.

The DTI chief has also relayed the findings to the secretaries of the Department of the Interior and Local Government, Department of Labor and Employment and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources for proper action.

Earlier this week, the DTI ordered regional offices to check on operations of foreign-owned small and medium enterprises in their respective areas to determine if there are violations of the retail trade law, following the call of Sen. Panfilo Lacson to shut down establishments which prefer to exclusively cater to Chinese nationals.