VENDORS at the historic Carbon Public Market are speaking out, calling for a fresh look at the multi-billion peso deal to redevelop the city's oldest trading hub. During a press conference at Freedom Park on Wednesday, February 18, 2026, market leaders asked the Cebu City Council to prioritize the welfare of local traders over private interests.
A lifeline for families
For many, Carbon Market is more than just a place to shop—it is a "lifeline." Vendors shared stories of how selling rice, vegetables, and native delicacies has supported their families for generations.
Annaliza Pilones Maglasang, who sells kakanin (sticky rice cakes), explained that her family has been at the market for 40 years. She shared that her mother’s rice sales were enough to pay for her private college education and teaching degree. While she supports the idea of a cleaner, more modern market, she believes the city should fund these upgrades itself rather than handing control to a private company.
Concerns over costs and security
The 2021 Joint Venture Agreement (JVA) between the Cebu City Government and Megawide Construction Corp. is at the heart of the debate. Leaders like Erwin Goc-ong, president of the Cebu Market Vendors Multi-Purpose Cooperative, say they aren't against progress, but they are afraid of being pushed out.
Goc-ong raised several concerns regarding the P8-billion project:
Rental hikes: While fees might stay affordable until 2028, there is no long-term guarantee.
Security of tenure: Vendors worry they could lose their spots in the future.
Developer interests: Goc-ong argued the deal seems to favor the private partner more than the people who have worked at the market for decades.
Thousands of livelihoods at stake
The impact of this deal reaches thousands of people. Maria Pino, president of the Carbon Cebu United Vendors Association (CCUVA), noted that over 4,000 ambulant vendors and 1,000 stallholders rely on daily earnings from Carbon to survive.
Pino and other groups have already met with city councilors to ask for a full review—or even the cancellation—of the agreement. They are specifically asking officials to look closely at how stalls are given out and what the relocation plans look like for those moved by construction.
What happens next?
This issue has become one of Cebu’s most debated projects. Supporters say modernization will lead to better sanitation and more income for the city. However, critics fear it will lead to "commercialization" that leaves traditional vendors behind.
The Cebu City Council is scheduled to officially review the JVA on March 17. This follows a speech by Councilor Sisinio Andales, who pointed out that most current council members were not part of the group that originally approved the deal in 2021. As the date approaches, the vendors remain firm in their message: progress should not come at the cost of their livelihoods. (EHP)