The contractor of SM Prime Holdings Inc. is now processing their fencing permit so they can start the development of the Manokan Country this month, City Legal Officer Romeo Carlos Ting, Jr. said Tuesday, March 5.
Ting said SM’s contractor went to their office last week and they are now finalizing their documents so they can secure a fencing permit from the Office of the Building Official (OBO).
He said the SM Prime will put a fence from Bacolod Vendor’s Plaza towards the Manokan Country.
He added the tenants of the Manokan Country including the affected residents of Barangay 12 will also vacate the area.
Ting noted that the tenants of the Manokan Country will temporarily transfer to the parking lot of the SM City while the affected residents will be given a relocation site in Barangay Vista Alegre.
Ting said that based on their records, at least 160 residents in Barangay 12 will be affected by the development of the Manokan Country, but only the qualified residents will be given a relocation site because some of them are only renting in the area.
“They were already given an extension to stay in the area and they also agreed to vacate once the contractor starts the construction,” he said.
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.
The P131.89 million represents seven years of advance rental payments for Manokan Country, under the 40-year lease agreement with the city at an annual rental fee of P21.26 million, subject to a 5 percent escalation rate every three years.
Mayor Alfredo Abelardo Benitez earlier said the tentative date for the SM group to operate is in 2025.
He said the lease agreement will last for 40 years, with an additional 10 years if it is agreed upon by the city.
He added that SM Prime is committed to investing P4 billion in the implementation of the said project, which will create more jobs for the city.*