CEBU CITY, PHILIPPINES — Vendors and homeowners converged at Cebu City’s historic Carbon Market to press their appeal for a thorough review of the joint venture agreement (JVA) between the city government and Megawide/Cebu2World Development, Inc. (C2W).
Their unified call was clear: modernization must not mean privatization, and the public character of Carbon Market must be preserved.
The demonstration spearheaded by Carbonhanong Alyansa, the Cebu Market Vendors Multipurpose Cooperative (Cemvedco), the Cebu City United Vendors Association (CCUVA), and the Bato Ermita Community Neighborhood Association Inc. (BECANAI).
The groups raised alarm over C2W’s plan to begin collecting market fees soon, warning that such a move would displace vendors and burden consumers already struggling with rising prices.
For the vendors, Carbon Market is more than a trading hub—it is their livelihood and the city’s refuge for affordable goods.
Jovelyn Gomez of Carbonhanong Alyansa said vendors are deeply unsettled by the plan for C2W to take over collections.
“Karon na alarma mi kay naa nang mga kadagkuan sa Megawide, ila nang sugdan ang pagpangolekta…sila may mangolekta sa tanan, mga stall owners ug sa mga ambulant … Construction gipaspasan nag taman…Unsa nama’y mahitabo namo ani karon? Asa naman mi paingon mga vendors…kon sila na’y mangolekta, pila naman kaha ilang kolektahon sa amoa? Sa market code, kada tuig, nagpasaka…Nagkamahal ang mga palitunon karon.
“Ang Carbon dangpanan ni sa tanan…kay diri nangita’g barato ang mga tawo…kon mumahalan nag samot diri. Asa naman mi paingon…ang mga vendors asa naman sad mi manginabuhi. Unsa na’y mahitabo sa among mga anak? Nanghinaot mi’s City Council nga dunggon among panghinaot nga e-review og balik ang kontrata…Kon kini ba makaayo ba sa tanan…Sa Megawide, ayaw tawn mo pasulabi nga pangwarta ra inyuha, kaning carbon, public market, tinuod kaming mga vendors, serbisyo among giuna,” she added.
Cemvedco chairman Erwin Goc-ong underscored that vendors are not against modernization but reject privatization.
He urged city councilors to revisit the JVA, which he claimed had been signed without full deliberation. “Among ipadayag karon ang amo’ang pagsupak sa privatization…kay alkanse kaayo ang dakbayan, alkanse ang katawhan,” he said.
CCUVA president Maria Pino in a separate interview with The Freeman recalled that during the administration of the late Mayor Edgar Labella, vendors’ concerns were raised but not acted upon.
Under Mayor Michael Rama, revisions to the JVA promised no displacement, but Pino questioned how this assurance would be determined, especially for ambulant vendors.
She noted that accessibility and transparency remain pressing concerns, with vendors excluded from forums organized by C2W. “Wala mi giapil sa forum, unya kami man unta ang pinakaapektado,” she lamented.
The protest coincided with a company-led forum inside the interim market, where a small group of vendors had been invited to hear updates on redevelopment.
Protesters disrupted the event to air their grievances. Despite a bit of tension, the protest remained peaceful, with Carbon police confirming no violence occurred.
Vendors reminded Mayor Archival of the covenant he signed before and after he got into his present position which carried three points: declaring Carbon Market a cultural heritage site, passing an ordinance to protect vendors’ rights and livelihoods, and reviewing the JVA with Megawide/C2W to ensure no displacement and prioritize public benefit. For the vendors, this covenant was a solemn assurance that their place in Carbon would be safeguarded.
Pino disclosed that Archival had assured them thru a phone call to Goc-ong that a review of the JVA will be done, though no timeline was given. “Giingnan mi nga i-review, pero hangtod karon wala pa’y klaro nga petsa. Mao nga nagpadayag mi og balik sa among kabalaka,” she said.
City Councilor Jun Alcover, who chairs the market committee, said he is willing to sit down with the vendors to hear their side. He admitted he cannot yet comment on the JVA because he was out of the Council when it was approved and has not read its details.
“Wala ko anang panahuna when the JVA was tackled…And wala sad ko ka pirma ana’ng JVA kay napildi man ko ana nga time,” Alcover said.
He noted, however, that the issue has become a headache for Mayor Archival and Vice Mayor Tomas Osmeña, who earlier agreed to help the vendors. “Nagsabot sila nga ilang tabangan ang Carbon…Pero paglingkod nang Nestor, nikusog naman nuon ang contruction, naglabad nang ulo’ng Tommy,” he added.
Alcover also expressed opposition to allowing Cebu2World to collect market fees, saying the market should remain under the city’s control.
Earlier, City Markets head Elcon Concha admitted confusion over the date set for the start of collections by C2W, saying they still need the City Legal Department’s opinion to avoid problems with legalities and the Commission on Audit.
For the vendors, the fight to save Carbon Market is inseparable from the fight to save themselves. “Matag adlaw, matag takna nga ga tan-aw mi’ng gipaspasan ang contruction, grabe among kahadlok ug kabalaka,” Gomez stressed.
Their protest carried the weight of a community determined to protect not only Cebu’s oldest marketplace but also the livelihoods that have sustained generations.
To them, the covenant signed by Archival must be honored—not just in words, but in action.
| Written by Caecent No-ot Magsumbol, Nicholas Jon Malaga/RAE
