The alleged unauthorized renting of spaces and the monopoly of food kiosks during the Panaad sa Negros Festival at the Panaad Park in Bacolod City is being looked into, Provincial Administrator Rayfrando Diaz said Wednesday, April 26.
There were allegations that certain provincial government employees rented out spaces at the Panaad that were not supposed to be leased out, he said.
There were 12 spaces leased out at P6,000 each but no money was remitted to the provincial government, he said.
“We will see if it worth investigating as the problem was immediately corrected,” he said.
He also noted that food kiosks at the Panaad that were supposed to be raffled out to different vendors to enable healthy competition were monopolized by certain individuals.
There were more than 10 kiosks being operated by one owner, he said.
He said this should not have happened because lack of competition enabled certain individuals to sell their food at higher prices.
Measures will be taken to further improve the festival and monopolies will not be allowed, Diaz said.
Diaz said that while the official report said the sales at the Panaad sa Negros Festival was P23.6 million, he believes it may have been P25 million as some sales were not recorded.
The provincial government plans to develop the full potential of the Panaad Park for it to be open year round in the future, he said.
It is being eyed to be included in the tour packages of the provincial government, he said.*