MANILA, Philippines–The Muntinlupa City government ordered on Thursday the closure of a KFC restaurant after inspectors caught the establishment violating an ordinance prohibiting the use of plastic ware.
According to Omar Acosta, the city’s public information officer, the KFC branch at South Station in Alabang was the fourth establishment to be shut down by the Business Permits and Licensing Office.
The closure order was based on the recommendation of the Environment and Sanitation Center, which implements Ordinance 10-109 prohibiting the use of plastics and polystyrene packaging materials.
Acosta said the store was found to be using plastic bags as packaging.
“This was the third time the store was found to be violating the ordinance,” Acosta said. “It was issued tickets for violation in January, February and last July 19.”
He added that that the city government has the option to file criminal charges in court against the owner of the establishment.
The ordinance, touted as the first of its kind in Metro Manila, was passed into law by the city council last year following the devastating effects wrought by floods due to tropical storm “Ondoy” in 2009.
City officials cited Muntinlupa’s landmark ban on plastics and polyestrene containers as among the factors that kept the city free from flooding during recent heavy rains.