Public market, Manokan occupants given 30-day extension

THE Bacolod City Council has granted a 30-day extension in the submission of application for the condonation program for the stall occupants in the public markets and Manokan Country.

The request was made by the occupants from Manokan Country headed by Maritess Lamier, president of the Manokan Country Vendors Association, who appealed to the council to extend the submission of application and to reconsider making the terms of payment to 72 months rather than 36 months.

Councilor Caesar Distrito, chairman of the Committee on Markets and Slaughterhouse, Laws and Ordinances and author of the condonation ordinance, sponsored the said request for an extension of 30 days.

"The original proposal was actually to make the term of payment to 72 months but what was adopted by the Sanggunian (council) is to make it to 36 months only," Distrito said.

"For the meantime, the Sanggunian approved the extension of 30 days and we will call for a public hearing with regard to their appeal of making it 72 months," Distrito added.

Lamier said that with the current terms provided under the condonation program ordinance, they will have a hard time complying with the payments because their monthly rental is much higher compared to those who are renting the stalls in the public markets, and that they will be paying the monthly installment plus their monthly rentals, which is very difficult, considering the stiff competition in their business.

She added that with the present delinquencies that they have, 36 months of payment will not be enough for them.

Distrito said the 30 days extension will be enough for them to apply for the condonation program and that the Committee on Markets and Slaughterhouse, as well as the Committee on Laws, Ordinances and Good Government will call a public hearing, inviting again the Manokan Country occupants and other departments in the City Government to review and discuss the possible reconsideration of the terms of payment of the condonation program. (CNC)