MANILA, Philippines — The Manila city government on Thursday padlocked four stalls inside a mall in Binondo selling beauty products that bear in its packaging a label that states Manila is a “province of China.”
In a Facebook live, Levi Facundo, head of Manila City’s Bureau of Permit, said such move of the company that manufactured the beauty products and the establishment to make such a claim is a “huge offense” to residents of the capital city.
“Oo kasi yun ay misrespresentation. Wala pong Binondo sa China. Ang Binondo ay nasa Maynila. Malaking insulto po yun,” Facundo said.
(Binondo is not in China. Binondo is in Manila. That is a big insult.)
Facundo located the stalls after receiving a tip from complaints that the products of the business had an address attached on the label which states, “707 Santo Cristo Binondo, Manila, Province of China.”
Facundo told reporters that they will look if the stalls have permits so that it will be revoked.
He added that they will also check if the products are accredited by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
The erroneous label, written at the packaging of a hair treatment product, was first bared by PBA Party-list Rep. Jericho Nograles, who had likewise sought the blacklisting and ban on the products.