A CEBU City Councilor is calling for a fresh look at the Carbon Public Market redevelopment deal after vendors raised concerns about their livelihoods. Councilor Sisinio "Bebs" Andales pushed for the review following a silent protest and a legal challenge from Vice Mayor Tomas Osmeña.
In a speech on Tuesday, February 10, 2026, Andales asked the City Council to revisit the 2021 joint venture agreement (JVA), believing there are unanswered questions about the project’s finances and how it affects the vendors.
To address this, an executive session is scheduled for March 17. The meeting will include representatives from the Megawide Corp. subsidiary Cebu2World Development Inc. (C2W), the City Legal Office, the Commission on Audit, vendor associations and various civil society groups.
To keep the meeting orderly, only presidents and officers of the vendor associations will be allowed to attend.
“Crisis of transparency”
The call for review comes after a silent protest by vendors on Feb. 5. Many are worried about rumors that rental fees could jump by 300 percent.
Andales described the situation as “symbiotic symptoms of a crisis of transparency, accountability and consensus.” He insisted the City has a “sovereign duty” to listen to the people.
“This is not a mere procedural objection,” Andales said. “It is a clarion call alleging potential infirmities in a contract that binds debate over the city’s oldest and most iconic public market.”
The history of the deal goes back to January 11, 2021, when the late mayor Edgardo Labella signed the original agreement. Later, Mayor Michael Rama signed a supplemental agreement on July 31, 2022, which increased the total project investment from P5.5 billion to P8 billion.
Vice Mayor Osmeña has filed a petition with the Supreme Court to review the JVA, arguing the deal is “grossly disadvantageous” to the city. Because of this ongoing legal battle, Councilor Mikel Rama moved that the upcoming executive session will not discuss points currently being reviewed by the court. / EHP