Binondo-based beauty product listed as from ‘Manila, Province of China’ earns ire of solon

The packaging of a beauty care product lists its address as “Manila, Province of China.”

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippines is now a province of China? A Binondo-based beauty product said so.

A party-list lawmaker has sought the blacklisting of the distribution of a locally-made beauty product line which was being packaged by its foreign owner as having an address in “Manila, Province of China.”

Puwersa ng Bayaning Atleta (PBA) Partylist Rep. Jericho Nograles said he has written to the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) and the Food and Drugs Administration (FDA) to complain about the “detestable and repulsive offense against our nation” by makers of the Chinese hair care product, Ashley Shine Keratin Treatment Deep Repair, which has “1st Flr. 707 Ito Cristo St., San Nicolas, Manila Province, P.R. China” as address in its packaging.

Nograles said the product is being distributed in the country by Elegant Fumes Beauty Products Inc., a Binondo-based company owned by a Chinese national.

In a photo shared by Nograles to reporters, the address on the beauty product’s packaging is listed as “1st Flr. 707 Ito Cristo St., San Nicolas, Manila Province, P.R. China.”

“It is hard to dismiss this insult as a simple error. The label clearly shows Manila, as a province of China,” Nograles said in a statement.

“This incident must be investigated at the very least, and the manufacturer and importer should be blacklisted, as soon as legally permitted,” the lawmaker added.

In his letter to the DTI and FDA, Nograles asked the agencies to investigate the matter, saying that “any act to undermine our sovereignty must be taken seriously.”

“It is in this light that we respectfully ask your Office to immediately investigate this detestable and repulsive offense against our nation, and, if legally justified, prohibit the continued distribution of these products in our country,” Nograles said in the letter.

PBA Partylist Rep. Jericho Nograles seeks the blacklisting of the beauty product made in “Manila, Province of China.”

Nograles said based on the information received by his office, the product bearing the address was manufactured in 2018 and is still distributed throughout the country.

“Succeeding batches of this product already omitted the declaration, but the offense remains the same,” Nograles said.

In a message to INQUIRER.net, Nograles said that investigation is now ongoing as per the DTI.

“[We have to follow] due process naman, we have to let the Chinese answer,” Nograles said.

INQUIRER.net has contacted Elegant Fumes Beauty Products Inc., but has yet to receive a response as of press time.

EDV