LGUs may be held liable for allowing food establishments to operate sans permits —DTI chief

Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Secretary Ramon Lopez on Friday warned that local government units may be held accountable for allowing food establishments to operate without the necessary permits.

Lopez's warning came after it was found that China Food City in Las Piñas City, which is comprised of 30 food stalls, is lacking the necessary business permits and tax receipts to operate.

"Pananagutan po nila 'yan... dapat po iniinspekyon nila 'yan at binabantayan kasi naka-devolve na 'yan sa local government, kaya ho sila ang nagbibigay ng sanitation permit at business permit. Bago ho mag-operate dapat siguradong nasa ayos 'yung sistema na 'yun," Lopez said in an interview on Dobol B sa News TV.

The DTI made a surprise inspection on the food park in which it was discovered that there were different receipts per stall and they were in Chinese characters, which means they didn’t have the proper individual business permits and official receipts from the Bureau of Internal Revenue.

Lopez also disclosed that there are no proper sanitation permits on display.

Lopez, however, noted that no incident of discrimination against Filipinos or other nationalities were monitored when the inspection was conducted.

The DTI chief said he has ordered his personnel to also inspect other Chinese food establishments especially those in Parañaque City and on Macapagal Boulevard.

"Pinapuntahan din ho natin 'yun sa iba't-ibang opisyal ng DTI, in terms of customer wala ho silang discrimination na nakita dahil allowed naman 'yung mga Pilipino. Ngayon ang dapat siguraduhin lang, tulad nung ginawang inspection kahapon, tingnan din 'yung ibang parte ng operasyon," Lopez said.

Lopez also said the DTI would come up with a regulation on receipts having an English translation.

"'Yung Chinese character magiissue tayo para mabantayan 'yan na dapat hindi lang Chinese. Siguro lilinawin, tahimik ang batas doon eh, na dapat may english translation. Gagawa ho tayo ng patakaran diyan," he said. —Anna Felicia Bajo/KBK, GMA News