Bacolod City Mayor Alfredo Abelardo Benitez insisted that the city government has given the tenants of Manokan Country enough time to decide on their move to the temporary facility following the forced closure of the establishment yesterday.

Benitez said they gave the 24 tenants a month to move, but they did not show any intention to cooperate.

They issued a compromise agreement for the relocation, and the city government accepted it.

“I was given a compromise arrangement nga ginbaton ta man but, obviously, daw wala man sila gana magsunod,” Benitez said.

However, the tenants did not follow their agreement, but instead, they even hung up posters with the words, “Yes to renovation, no to demolition,” “No court order, no closure,” and others, opposing the demolition.

The Bacolod City Legal Enforcement Unit implemented the closure order of Manokan Country yesterday.

Portions of Fr. Ferrero Street, fronting the Manokan Country, along Vendors Plaza and Burgos Street, were also closed to give way for the clearing of the illegal structures in the area.

Earlier, a 30-day vacate notice was issued to tenants of the Manokan Country  for the P4-billion rehabilitation project of SM Prime Holdings Inc.

The city government gave a two-week extension after the July 5 deadline as the temporary facility was not yet ready at that time.

They announced that they would implement the closure on July 20, to allow tenants to process their applications for water and power connections at the temporary facility./WDJ