(This is the English version of a talk I gave, June 27, 2026, at the launching of Save Carbon Public Market Movement.)
When termites infest a house, it would be insane for the owner to burn the whole house down just to kill all the termites. Yet, that is exactly what happened to Carbon. City officials saw the dirt, the chaos, the rats in Carbon and thought of a major cleanup. But instead of discussing this with the vendors who ply their trade in Carbon, they unilaterally decided to enter into a joint venture agreement with a business enterprise. The provisions, however, effectively privatized Carbon, a public market.
This contradicts their oath of office to work for the common good and not for a few, least of all rich big business. Carbon’s modernization by big business excludes thousands of small ambulant vendors from earning their usual living. It’s the insane act of burning the whole house down to get rid of termites.
The German philosopher Immanuel Kant tells us that a human being should always be an end and never a means because she/he can think and is independent. No human can be used as another human’s tool or stepping stone. City officials have no right to use the vendors of Carbon to get whatever it is that loosened some screws in their heads and made them commit this insanity.
Hence, it is only fitting that a movement be launched to save Carbon as a public market. Vendors and buyers, in fact, the whole community of Cebu should support this movement. Without Carbon, food and basic necessities will no longer be affordable to those who cannot afford the prices of goods in a mall. There is talk that Megawide plans to send big trucks to the mountains to buy all the produce and bring it to be sold in Carbon. When this happens, goodbye small vendors, goodbye affordable food.
A win-win solution is called for. But for it to be win-win, Megawide and the City must face Carbon vendors at the negotiating table. Your prayer for a temporary restraining order has been denied by the court. But both City and Megawide must remember that you can still win the main case against the privatization of Carbon that is just starting to be heard. Moreover, you still have the option to file a criminal case against both the City and Megawide.
Vendors have nothing more to lose, whereas Megawide stands to lose so much investment in a project that vendors and buyers and the whole community will oppose with steely determination. They should take interest in a win-win solution if they want to save their investment.
I started with termites, let me now end with a scorpion. A scorpion asked a frog to carry him to the other side of a river. The frog, afraid of the scorpion’s deadly bite, refused. But the scorpion insisted, saying, “why would I bite you when I will drown and die with you.” The frog agreed and swam to the other side with the scorpion on his back. But, halfway through the scorpion bit him. To his questioning look, the scorpion replied, “Sorry, I couldn’t help it since it’s my nature to bite.” They both died right after.
City officials won the elections riding on your votes. But since it is their nature, they still bit you. They cannot be trusted to save Carbon. Carbon can be saved as a public market only by the united opposition of vendors, buyers and the community that stand to suffer if Carbon is privatized and becomes a mall.