BACOLOD City – Mayor Alfredo Abelardo Benitez extended an advance apology to stall owners at the Manokan Country — a gastronomic complex serving grilled chicken here — who will soon be affected by the closure.
Last month, the City Legal Office (CLO) served a final notice to 17 Manokan Country stall owners, giving them until Sept. 30 to secure their business permit, settle their arrears, and keep their monthly rental up to date for the stalls they are occupying at the city’s Reclamation Area.
“Failure on their part to comply will result in the closure of their businesses,” the notice stated.
In a media interview on Monday, Sept. 12, Benitez was asked if the Manokan Country vendors have met with him, with the mayor answering that they have until the end of the month to comply.
But what will happen if they couldn’t comply? Benitez replied, “sorry”.
He added that if they fail to settle their delinquencies by Sept. 30, the city government will close the stall and auction it to the next tenant.
Based on the records of the City Treasurer’s Office (CTO), the unsettled accounts in the monthly rental of Manokan Country stall owners, which have accumulated for several years, including the penalties, amount to a total of more than P8.6 million.
David Montoya, president of the Manokan Country Vendors Association, said they were surprised when the CLO served them the final notice.
The group appealed to the city government to give them an extension until the end of December of this year to settle their delinquencies, despite some of them having already made the payments at the CTO.
Earlier, the city mayor disclosed that the city government will consider the proposal of SM Prime Holdings, Inc. for a public-private-partnership for the Manokan Country if the private entity will agree to the conditions of the former.
Manokan Country is located across SM City-Bacolod./PN
