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February 21, 2026 | 12:25pm
Pedestrians walk past the closed main branch of the Mang Larry's Isawan along E. Jacinto Street inside the University of the Philippines Diliman Campus in Quezon City.
STAR / Miguel de Guzman
MANILA, Philippines — Mang Larry's Isawan, the famous eatery within the University of the Philippines - Diliman campus, was ordered to close after losing a court battle.
Officers from Quezon City's Demolition Task Force accompanied Public Safety and Security Office as well as Campus Maintenance Office personnel from the university to the main branch of Mang Larry's last February 20 at noon to order the establishment's relocation.
Authorities even locked the establishment to prevent people from approaching unless allowed by the university's Vice Chancellor for Community Affairs.
According to a report by Theodore Atienza of school paper the Philippine Collegian, owner Laurencio Convencido Jr. had to vacate the long-disputed land where the establishment was located and pay damages to the university, as ordered by the Quezon City Metropolitan Trial Court Branch 40.
These include P47,500 and around P9,000 in interest for "unpaid rental arrears" since October 2021, P5,000 for monthly rental for the use and occupation of the property since November of the same year and a P1,000 case filing fee
This is despite the Convencido family not receiving an eviction notice ahead of the arrival of authorities.
The court had issued an initial decision in the university's favor as early as 2023, although Convencido appealed its finality. The decision became executory on Sept. 16, 2024.
According to Convencido's wife Elizabeth, the disputed land was already sold to the city government back in 2019 and they were already paying the city for rent of the property.
The official Facebook page of Mang Larry's Isawan shared a video by another university paper Tinig of Plaridel of the Convencido couple's son Angelo recounting the eviction process.
"Sa loob ng maraming taon na palipat lipat, minsan kami ay lumaban pero ganun talaga merong nananalo at merong natatalo," the establishment said. "Ganun pa man, maraming salamat UP sa pagkakataon na makabenta at mabuhay ang aming pamilya."
The establishment thanked loyal customers for supporting their main branch which was been running for five decades, assuring than their other branches along Magiting and in the University of Santo Tomas remain open.
