2 Manila establishments ordered closed

The Manila city government ordered on Monday the closure of two commercial establishments for violating environmental laws and other city ordinances.

In a press conference on Wednesday, Manila City Administrator Ericson Alcovendaz identified the violators as Makchang Korean Restaurant in Ermita and D Circle Hotel in Malate.

Amid the Manila Bay rehabilitation, the Laguna Lake Development Authority (LLDA) furnished last Feb. 8 Manila Mayor Joseph Estrada copies of its Cease and Desist Orders (CDOs) directing the two establishments to discontinue pollutive discharge or temporarily halt operations of facilities generating such wastes after it found prima facie evidence that they posed “immediate threat to life, public health, safety or welfare to animals or plant life.”

Findings of a separate inspection conducted by the Manila Health Department on Jan. 29 also revealed that the two violated the city’s sanitation

code on top of environmental laws.

“We gave them seven days [to comply] after we found [their violations]. However, we saw no work in progress from them,” Alcovendaz said.

The city official said they will investigate if their employees in charge of monitoring businesses have been remiss in their duties.

Meanwhile, the Makchang Korean Restaurant is already waiting for Maynilad to connect its newly-paved canal to a sewer line.

However, operations at the D Circle Hotel continue despite the big closure notice posted by the Manila City government early this week.

Around three to five more establishments, all in Malate, are expected to be shut down Monday next week for the same reasons, Alcovendaz said.