Tenants at the iconic Manokan Country are refusing to vacate their stalls by the July 5 deadline set by Mayor Alfredo “Albee” Benitez, insisting they won’t leave without a court order.
The Manokan Country Vendors Association, with 23 out of 24 vendors on board, is mounting a legal challenge through lawyers Jomax Ortiz and Brix Reyes of Task Force Kasanag.
This after the city said that there would be no extensions for the closure to allow SM Prime Holdings Inc. to proceed with its renovation project.
In its a press conference held yesterday, July 2, the vendors argue that the project should focus on renovating Manokan Country’s cultural heritage, not handing over management to a private entity.
Last year, the Bacolod City government signed a deal with SM Prime Holdings Inc. to modernize the Manokan Country where the latter committed to investing at least PHP3 billion in the leased premises, on top of paying an annual rent of PHP21.26 million.
The 40-year lease agreement covers a total area of 16,875 square meters (approximately 1.68 hectares), encompassing both Manokan Country and adjacent city-owned lots.
