CEBU City Councilor Sisinio Andales and market vendors raised concerns over the implementation of the Carbon Public Market joint venture agreement (JVA), particularly on alleged unauthorized rental collections, during an executive session on Tuesday, March 17, 2026.
The meeting, attended by city officials, vendor groups, and representatives of Megawide Construction Corp. through its subsidiary Cebu2World Development Inc., aimed to clarify the developer’s role in the market.
Discussions revealed that individuals linked to the developer were collecting commission-based rentals from vendors in Sitio Bato, Barangay Ermita, despite earlier claims that no such collections were being made.
Andales flagged possible inconsistencies, saying the situation “appears to have something wrong.”
He said the developer initially denied collecting rent but later admitted that a commission-based commercial setup connected to them was involved.
“I was a bit confused about who was actually collecting,” he said, stressing the need for clearer accountability, as rental collection is a sensitive management issue.
The session also tackled relocation concerns in Sitio Bato, where some residents have declined to move despite redevelopment plans.
Vendor groups, meanwhile, reiterated their opposition to the JVA.
“Our position is that we will not stop our actions to prevent the joint venture agreement… It seems that the protected party in the agreement is the developer,” said Erwin Gok-ong of the Grains Retailers Confederation of the Philippines Cebu City north chapter.
Vendors also raised fears of possible rent increases. While the developer assured there would be no annual hikes, Vice Mayor Tomas Osmeña pointed out a JVA provision allowing adjustments of up to three percent yearly.
“These are some of the grounds that we will look into when we revisit the JVA,” Andales said.
He plans to file a resolution within two to three weeks calling for a formal review of the agreement to identify provisions that may need amendment or clarification.
Andales clarified that the recent session was only for gathering concerns, not yet a formal review.
For its part, Cebu2World said it is open to a review. Its public affairs manager Jynx Chanjueco said vendor concerns largely centered on clarifying the developer’s role, adding that vendor listings remain under the City Government through the City Market Office.
“Megawide has no power to impose increases,” he said.
The developer also said it will proceed with construction in line with its agreement with the city. / CAV