AFTER they were shut down on Monday by the City Legal Office (CLO), 15 stalls at the Manokan Country in Bacolod have reopened and returned to their usual operations.

This, after the stall owners signed a compromise agreement with the City Treasurer's Office (CTO) to pay their arrears,City Legal Officer Carlos Romeo Ting Jr. said.

Ting said of 15 stall owners, 14 of them immediately signed their compromise agreement with the CTO on Monday afternoon and they were allowed to operate their business in the evening.

While the other one, was able to sign a compromise agreement with the CTO yesterday morning, October 4.

"They promised to pay their arrears so we allowed them to open their business," he added.

On Monday, the 15 stalls at the Manokan Country were shut down by the CLO after its owners failed to secure sanitary and business permits, which is a violation of City Ordinance No. 565 Series of 2011.

Ting reiterated that the tenants were given until September 30, 2022 to settle their accounts reaching P8.6 million with the CTO so that they could start processing their permits but they failed.

Manokan Country is a row of restaurants selling grilled foods, especially the famous Bacolod Chicken Inasal, is situated on a city-owned property at the Reclamation Area right across SM City Bacolod.

Once they have the business permit, Ting said, the City Health Office (CHO) will conduct a regular inspection for the issuance of the sanitary permit.

"We are doing this for the public welfare especially, now that we are celebrating the MassKara Festival. We want to ensure the safety of their customers," he said.

He added that the tenants should follow the local law to avoid penalties.*