Isko Moreno shuts down 4 Tondo shops with products labeling Manila 'province of China’
MANILA, Philippines (Updated 6:03 p.m.) — Four business establishments in Divisoria Mall carrying a product line which called Manila City a "province of China" in its packaging have been ordered closed by Mayor Isko Moreno.
Manila Bureau of Permits Director Levy Facundo, who led the operation, said the stalls violated the city's ordinance by misrepresenting a Philippine city as a province of China.
"There is no Binondo in China. Binondo is in Manila," he said in Filipino.
This comes after photos of the product "Ashley Shine Keratin Treatment Deep Repair" went viral on social media, the packaging of which lists its manufacturing address as "707 Sto. Cristo St. San Nicolas, Manila Province, P.R. China. MADE IN P.R.C."
“The label clearly shows Manila, as a province of China.”
— ONE News PH (@onenewsph) August 20, 2020
PBA party-list Rep. Jericho Nograles wants a Chinese beauty product blacklisted after its packaging listed its Binondo address as a province of the People’s Republic of China. (via @News5PH) pic.twitter.com/8oDdIKhurZ
Rep. Jericho Nograles' (Puwersa ng Bayaning Atleta Partylist) wrote to the Department of Trade and Industry to urge that the product's distribution be prohibited.
"Any act to undermine our sovereignty must be taken seriously," Nograles told Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez in a letter dated August 19.
"It is in this light that we respectfully ask your office to immediately ask your Office to immediately investigate this detestable and repulsive offense against our nation, and, if legally justified, prohibit the cointinued distribution of these products in our country," he added.
He further noted that the declaration is omitted from succeeding batches of the product but "the offense remains the same."
Malacañang on Wednesday afternoon dismissed the matter, calling it ridiculous.
"Kalokohan 'yan. Di na pinapansin yan. Alam naman natin na ang Pilipinas ay di probinsya ng Tsina," presidential spokesman Harry Roque said during a virtual briefing.
(That's ridiculous. We won't give it attention. We know the Philippines is not a province of China.)
President Rodrigo Duterte in 2018 made a joke which referred to the Philippines as a province of China while addressing a crowd of Chinese-Filipino businessmen. — Bella Perez-Rubio
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