CEBU City Vice Mayor Tomas Osmeña has officially asked the Supreme Court (SC) to stop the ongoing redevelopment of the Carbon Public Market. In a legal petition filed on Jan. 16, 2026, Osmeña argued that the multi-billion peso project violates the law and puts the city at a financial disadvantage.
A new legal battle
The move comes after a local court dismissed Osmeña’s earlier attempt to block the project. The vice mayor is now asking the highest court in the land to review the legality of the joint venture agreement (JVA) between the Cebu City Government and Megawide Construction Corp.
The legal challenge names several officials as respondents, including former mayor Michael Rama, incumbent Mayor Nestor Archival and leaders from Megawide’s development arm, Cebu2World Development Inc.
Why the project is under fire
The Carbon market project began in 2021 as a P5.5 billion deal, which later grew to P8 billion. While the City sees it as a modernization effort, Osmeña and local vendor groups have raised several red flags:
• Financial Loss: Osmeña claims the deal is "grossly disadvantageous." He noted that the City is guaranteed only P50 million a year, which is less than the P58 million the market earned on its own in 2021.
• Location Rules: The petition argues the project violates City Ordinance 2154, which requires major commercial developments to be built at the South Road Properties (SRP) to protect the City’s P12-billion investment there.
• Land Ownership: Osmeña alleges the City did not have the authority to hand over the land. He claims over seven hectares of the project site actually belong to the National Government.
• Lack of Transparency: The petition alleges the City Council approved the 75-page agreement in a single day without most members even reading the documents.
Impact on local vendors
Beyond the legal technicalities, the project has faced heavy pushback from the people who work there every day. More than 4,000 vendors fear they will be forced out by high rental fees and the privatization of what has always been a public space.
Osmeña emphasized that his petition is filed as a concerned taxpayer fighting for the public, distinguishing it from previous lawsuits filed by vendor groups regarding their personal rights.
What happens next?
The SC is being asked to stop all construction immediately. Osmeña is also requesting that the court order the developers to rebuild the market stalls that have already been demolished — at their own expense.
If the court rules in his favor, it could disqualify Megawide from continuing the project entirely. This decision will determine whether the Carbon market remains a public landmark or becomes a private commercial hub. / EHP