Carbon Public Market fee collections draw City Hall scrutiny

[]A City Council inquiry revealed multiple collections from vendors, including association dues and private service payments.

[] Questions over market fees have prompted calls for stricter regulation of vendor associations operating in Carbon.

[]Vendor groups defended their dues as legal while city officials examined the scale of collections inside the market.

QUESTIONS over millions of pesos in collections at Carbon Public Market have prompted Cebu City officials to consider tighter regulation of vendor associations after disclosures that multiple groups and private individuals collect various fees from vendors operating inside the market.

The issue was discussed during an executive session convened by the Cebu City Council on Tuesday, June 23, 2026, following allegations by Mayor Nestor Archival that private groups were imposing unauthorized daily, weekly, and monthly collections on vendors.

Archival earlier estimated that organizations with about 2,000 members could be collecting as much as P18 million a month.

Council members said any fees, rentals, assessments, or charges imposed within Carbon Public Market must be transparent, lawful, and properly accounted for.

Existing collections

Office of City Markets (OCM) market overseer Elconjim Concha confirmed that collections exist inside the market but said determining whether they are illegal falls under the jurisdiction of the City Legal Office.

The OCM found that vendor associations collect daily dues from members, while some individuals operate businesses that rent out weighing scales, tables or “lantay,” tents, and other equipment used by vendors. Concha said these practices have existed in Carbon for years.

The executive session was initiated by Councilor Pastor “Jun” Alcover Jr., who sought to determine the extent of collections imposed on vendors and identify the groups involved. During the proceedings, Alcover asked market officials whether they had identified the organizations collecting fees inside Carbon Public Market.

Association concerns

The OCM reported that 52 vendor associations operate in Carbon Public Market, although most are not registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

The office recommended an ordinance limiting associations to one per street, noting that Carbon consists of nine major streets.

Councilor Sisinio Andales sought clarification on the results of the investigation ordered by the mayor’s office. While associations submitted lists showing about 3,900 vendors, a seven-day validation conducted by market personnel found only about 3,500 active vendors.

Of the validated vendors, 1,800 appeared in the city's 2023 records, while about 1,600 were newly identified during the 2026 verification. Market officials also disclosed that individuals engaged in equipment and facility rentals admitted they did not have business permits.

Revenue estimates

Councilor Alvin Arcilla clarified that “arkabala” refers to collections imposed on ambulant vendors selling outside the covered market area, while vendors inside the market pay rentals under the city's Market Code.

Arcilla raised concerns over reports that some vendors pay up to P420 a day in various fees and services. Using an estimated 3,800 vendors, he said collections could reach nearly P500 million a year, far exceeding the OCM's reported annual collections of P130 million to P160 million.

However, the OCM clarified that the P420 figure includes payments to service providers and is not limited to association dues. Vendors may also pay separate association dues ranging from P20 to P30 a day.

Councilor Joel Garganera, for his part, called for a joint validation involving the OCM, vendor groups, and the developer to determine the actual number of ambulant vendors operating in Carbon Public Market.

Vendors defend dues

Vendor leaders who attended the session denied allegations of illegal collections.

Evangeline Punay, secretary general of the Alliance of Energetic Vendors Association Inc. (Aevai), said their group collects only P20 to P30 per night from members, along with a P5 burial contribution.

The association also rents out tents for P100, with an additional P20 charge for electricity.

Punay said Aevai does not rent out weighing scales and that some rentals cited during the investigation are operated by private individuals rather than associations.

She added that the organization is registered with the SEC, accredited by the Cebu City Government, pays taxes to the Bureau of Internal Revenue, and holds a business permit. According to her, vendors may pay up to P145 a day depending on the services they avail themselves of.

Meanwhile, Maria Pino of the Cebu Coalition of the United Vendors Association (Ccuva) disputed claims that associations collect as much as P300 to P420 a day from vendors.

She said the figure combines association dues, private service payments, and government-imposed charges such as rentals, arkabala, market fees, and barangay fees.

Pino said vendors are not required to avail themselves of private services such as tent rentals, lantay rentals, and electricity connections, stressing that these payments should not be treated as association collections.

While supporting government efforts to review market collections, Pino urged authorities to distinguish between association dues, private transactions, and government fees.

“If there are abuses, investigate them. If there are illegal collections, stop them. But let us not confuse government fees, association fees, and private service payments as if they were all the same thing because they are not,” she said.

The OCM committed to submitting updated lists of vendors, associations, and individuals collecting fees as the City Council considers measures regulating associations and collections within Carbon Public Market. / CAV