BACOLOD City Mayor Alfredo Benitez has clarified that Manokan Country is an intangible cultural heritage of the city, and that is what they are trying to preserve.
This statement came after the demolition of the Manokan Country building on Feb. 28, 2025, drew various reactions on social media.
“The Manokan Country is an intangible cultural heritage, which means it’s not tied to any facility or equipment,” Benitez said in a recent interview.
“This intangible cultural heritage is what we’re trying to preserve, which is to have an ambiance of the original concept of the Manokan Country — affordable, native and experience the grilled chicken. So, these are the attractions that we would like to preserve,” he added.
Benitez further said the new facility will embrace the original concept of Manokan Country but in a clean and upgraded setting.
“It’s not because of the tangible assets, but it’s the intangible assets that we would like to preserve. The Manokan Country is alive and it’s still here. We still have the best chicken inasal in the world,” he added.
Upgraded version
The demolition is part of a 40-year redevelopment program by SM Prime Holdings Inc. (SM Prime) for an upgraded version of Manokan Country.
On Oct. 20, 2023, the City Government of Bacolod signed a contract with SM Prime for the redevelopment of the iconic Manokan Country.
SM Prime has turned over P131.89 million to the City Government for the project. The amount represents seven years of advance rental payments under a 40-year lease agreement, with an annual rental fee of P21.26 million, subject to a five percent escalation rate every three years.
The demolition of the Manokan Country building, which was built in the 1990s, ended on Feb. 28. All tenants have relocated to temporary spaces at the SM City terminal hub.
Manokan Country had a total of 27 tenants, but only 26 were operating in the area.
Of the 26, 24 agreed to transfer to the temporary space at SM City’s terminal hub, while the two others found alternative locations for their businesses.
Benitez said most tenants have informed him that they have an overwhelming number of customers at their new location at SM City. / MAP
