The management of SM Group has revived its proposal to develop and manage the existing Manokan Country that is adjacent to its property along Reclamation Area in Bacolod City.
On Tuesday, January 17, City Administrator Pacifico Maghari III revealed that the city had received the SM Group’s proposal to upgrade the existing facility.
The unsolicited offer will still be subject to a Swiss challenge, where a counter-proposal may be made against its offer.
The SM Group originally proposed upgrading the famous Manokan Country in 2015, when Monico Puentevella was the mayor of the city. However, due to objections from the existing stall owners at the time, the offer did not materialize.
This time, SM Group is reviving the plan for a two-story Manokan structure with enough parking and additional face-lifting to make the area a tourist attraction. It is also proposing to improve the quality of food served, according to Maghari.
Maghari said the proposal will be under a public-private partnership and it will allow the city government and the proponent to reach a long term agreement.
The city is already struggling to collect overdue rent from existing stall owners, which has already reached between P500,000 to P600,000 for each tenant.
