Isetann Cinerama reopens after paying back taxes

MANILA, Philippines — Barely more than 24 hours after being padlocked by the Manila city government, the Isetann Cinerama Complex in Recto was allowed to resume operations on Friday after settling its back taxes of P2 million and securing proper business permits from the City Hall.

City Secretary Bernardo Ang lifted the closure order on Friday in a letter to TriUnion Properties Inc., the firm that owns the shopping complex, but warned that similar violations in the future could lead to the revocation of the mall’s permits again.

Ang lifted the order after the city’s Bureau of Licenses and Permits Office determined that the mall had “substantially complied with the deficiencies/violations noted in the closure order in relation to the operation of your business.”

One of the oldest malls in Manila, Isetann was shut down after it was discovered that it owed the city P4 million in taxes and did not have valid business permits.

TriUnion had secured a business permit for 2019 but only covered a shopping center with a business area of 1,000 square meters and 10 employees.

It also misdeclared the business permits for its movie theaters, since only one of its four cinemas actually had a valid permit. —Krixia Subingsubing