THREE of the 17 stall owners at the Manokan Country, who have arrears, have already paid almost P1.3 million as initial settlement for their financial obligations with the city, an official said yesterday, September 29.
Councilor Celia Matea Flor, who is the chairperson of the city council committee on markets and slaughter house, said she held a meeting with the 17 stall owners on Wednesday where the initial payment was made.
City’s record showed that the unsettled dues of the stall owners have reached P8.6 million.
Flor said that some of them have started paying their unsettled accounts on a staggered basis.
“If they will continue their payment until September 30, there’s a big possibility that they will not vacate the Manokan Country,” she stressed.
Mayor Alfredo Abelardo Benitez earlier gave an ultimatum to the 17 stall owners to settle their financial obligations on or before September 30, 2022.
“(Should they fail to comply), we will give it (the stalls) to the next tenants who are willing to do business in the area," Benitez said.
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.
Flor noted that the City Legal Office (CLO) will conduct an assessment to determine the accounts of the vendors with low arrears to ensure that it will not be closed while those who fail to do so, will have to vacate by December this year.
“Those who fail to pay their arrears until today to go to the City Treasurer’s Office so you can have a compromise agreement to settle your accounts until December 2022,” she told the stall owners.
David Montoya, president of Manokan Country Vendors Association (MCVA), earlier sought the assistance of Flor to give them until December 2022 so they will have enough time to settle their accounts.
“We are sincere in our appeal and most of our members have already settled their accounts. I'm only asking that the city will give us until December to pay the 20 percent of our arrears," he said.*