2 Chinese establishments without permits shut down

The Makati City government has shut down two Chinese establishments found to be operating without permits.

Maribert Pagente, the Makati Business Permit and Licensing Office (BPLO) chief, identified the establishments as Chinese Kitchen and Qizixianglaxie Food Inc., both in Birch Townhomes on Hilario Street in Barangay Palanan.

Pagente said that on July 1, a BPLO team inspected companies in the area and found out that the two had no business permits.

They were later issued an apprehension notice and given three days to appear before the BPLO.

Last month, the city government shut down a Chinese restaurant, 6789 CWC Kitchenette, at the corner of Fernando and J. Victor Streets in Barangay Pio del Pilar. Based on an inspection, the establishment violated the city’s sanitation standards on top of operating without a permit.

Since January, city officials have closed 55 establishments—not all Chinese-owned or managed—for violating revenue and sanitation codes, and local ordinances.

The local governments of Las Piñas and Parañaque also recently ordered the shutdown of several Chinese establishments found to be operating without the proper documents and in violation of several local ordinances.

In the past three years, authorities have noticed the influx of Chinese nationals in southern Metro Manila, near casinos and Pogo (Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators) companies.

Bureau of Immigration data showed that from 2016 to 2018, over 3 million Chinese nationals arrived in the country.  —WITH A REPORT FROM AIZAM UMAL