- CHERYL G. CRUZ
The stalls of 15 delinquent Manokan Country tenants have resumed operations following a compromise agreement with the Bacolod City government.
The stalls were closed Monday after the lessees failed to pay their arrears, amounting to a total of P8.6 million that have accumulated over the years.
In August, the city initially gave delinquent tenants until the end of September to settle their debts, but only three were able to do so, prompting the City Legal Office team to enforce the closure order Oct. 3.
Reports said the affected vendors went to the City Treasurer’s Office Monday afternoon and agreed to settle their arrears of about P7 million in all on a staggered basis a month.
Among those who signed the compromise agreement with the city were representatives of stalls Nena 1, Rosing, Cita’s, Nena’s Beth III, Pacita’s I, Karen Grill, Shibarose, Bernadette, Carmen, Maricor, Narsing, Lobel Leos, and New Paz, the city PIO said.
Records from the City Treasurer’s Office earlier showed that each tenant has a monthly rental of P2,250, except for one that’s renting the place for P17,500 a month.
Former councilor Caesar Distrito, who used to chair the Sangguniang Panlungsod Committee on Markets and Slaughterhouse, said Monday that “the closure of some stalls in Manokan Country is long overdue”.
The tenants cannot blame Mayor Alfredo Benitez for their mess, because as early as 2011, he had authored the Market and Manokan Condonation of Interests, Penalties and Surcharges Ordinance, Distrito said in a post.
The ordinance gave tenants the chance to pay their arrears on installment basis, and waived the interests, penalties and surcharges, he said. “In short, they just had to pay the principal, and were even given one year to do so. Sad to say, wala gid nila gin comply.”/CGC
