BACOLOD CITY – Fifteen tenants of the Manokan Country here were closed by the City Legal Office (CLO) on Monday, Oct. 3.
They were shut down after they failed to pay their arrears to the city government by Sept. 30.
Their closure was pursuant to Section 65, Article 20 of City Ordinance No. 565, Series of 2011, or “An ordinance approving the Revised Local Revenue Code of Bacolod City.”
The city discovered last June that delinquent accounts of 18 tenants at Manokan Country reached P8.6 million.
Only three tenants were able to fully settle their accounts while 15 others have balances amounting to a total of P7,122,557.14.
The 15 tenants were able to pay a small amount but failed to fully pay their arrears by the end of September.
Manokan Country is an attraction here. The place has a row of restaurants selling the famous chicken inasal. It is situated in a city-owned property at the Reclamation Area across SM City Bacolod.
Mayor Alfredo Abelardo “Albee” Benitez had earlier received a public-private partnership (PPP) proposal from SM Prime for the development of Manokan Country.