The Bacolod City Legal Office (CLO)- Enforcement Team will conduct a clearing operation on Tuesday, April 2, at the Bacolod Vendor’s Plaza, City Legal Officer Romeo Carlos Ting said.
Ting said the contractor of SM Prime Holdings Inc. already implemented the partial fencing along the Bacolod Vendor’s Plaza for the development of the Manokan Country.
“We need to clear the Bacolod Vendor’s Plaza building so they can put their fence in the area,” he said.
If the occupants refuse to vacate the area, they will demolish their temporary structures, he added.
Tan noted that several individuals illegally occupied some portion of Bacolod Vendor’s Plaza and they were already notified that the SM Prime will put up their fence in the area.
On October 20, 2023, the city government of Bacolod signed a contract agreement with SM Prime for the redevelopment of the iconic Manokan Country.
The SM Prime already turned over P131.89 million to the city government for the redevelopment of the iconic Manokan Country.
They will develop the Bacolod Vendor’s Plaza towards the Manokan Country and Commission on Elections (Comelec) structures.
Ting said the qualified affected residents will be given cash assistance and relocation site.
Mayor Alfredo Abelardo Benitez earlier asked SM Prime Holdings Inc. to put a fence in the vacant area only from Bacolod Vendor’s Plaza towards the Manokan Country.
Benitez said SM Prime should put a fence in the vacant area only and they should not remove the residents in the area since the city government is still preparing the relocation site for the affected residents.
He said it was part of the agreement with the residents of Barangay 12 to prepare first their relocation site before the demolition of their houses.
He added at least 60 houses will be affected by the development of Manokan Country and they will be given a relocation site in Abada Escay in Barangay Vista Alegre.
Aside from the residents of Barangay 12, Ting said some residents of Barangay 10 are also affected by the development of the Manokan Country.
He said they already talked with the officials of Barangay 10 and they agreed to give assistance, including a relocation site, to the affected residents.*