Without a court order to the contrary, Carbon’s privatization is inevitable. Mayor Nestor Archival moved back Megawide’s March 1, 2026 takeover and boasted of having found a provision that prevents C2W (Megawide’s subsidiary) from collecting fees. But as sure as the sun will come down tomorrow, C2W will sooner than later implement the provisions of the Joint Venture Agreement (JVA). How else will it recover the heavy investment it poured on the redevelopment of Carbon.
Vendors and the buying public need to realize this is all the fault of Cebu City’s local government unit (LGU). Megawide, true to its nature as a business legal person, is merely cashing in on an opportunity to make profits. It is Cebu City LGU that betrayed its nature as a public service agency by reneging on its responsibility to provide constituents with such basic services as a central public market.
The JVA has betrayal written all over its ugly face. First, it was entered into without consulting the vendors, the very people who make Carbon throb with life. The latter just woke up one day to learn that Cebu City has left them out in the cold with provisions in the JVA that threatened their survival as small business entrepreneurs in Carbon.
True, the newly elected city officials had nothing to do with the JVA. (The current mayor was in fact the staunchest councilor-defender of the rights of small ambulant vendors.) But when they ran for office, they knew they would inherit the problem if they won. And win they did but not without the Carbon vendors’ vigorous all-in campaign for BOPK candidates.
But where is BOPK now? The vice mayor makes a big deal out of his appeal to the Supreme Court (SC). But his case was dismissed by a lower court years ago. Hence, expect the SC to throw it back to the Court of Appeals as is the legally correct procedure. Besides, Carbonhanon, a member-group of Carbon Alliance, has a case pending in court whose verdict might or might not have to be appealed to a higher court. The mayor, for his part, is no longer standing squarely with the vendors with such telling remarks like he is mayor for all and not just for the vendors.
Yet, Carbon vendors are venting their anger at Megawide. That’s barking up the wrong tree. This is Cebu City LGU’s anomaly to make right. Cebu City has no business privatizing a basic service much less sign off on a JVA that is merely convenient (enriching maybe?) to its officials but disastrous to vendors and the consuming public.
Vendors should, therefore, address their moans and groans at Cebu City officials. It is the Cebu City LGU, mainly the mayor, vice mayor and council, that should be asked, nay pressured, to take unequivocal action (not just brave words) to review the JVA and renegotiate its disadvantageous provisions.
The minority floor leader has proposed an executive session of the City Council to review the JVA. But why executive session? Cebu City grossly erred in signing off on the JVA without even a hint of a consultation with the vendors. It’s only fair that this time around the vendors will be consulted. Better still, the renegotiation, to be fair, must have the vendors participate as principal actors.