Cebu's Historic Carbon Market Vendors Demand Review of P8-Billion Redevelopment Agreement
Vendors at Cebu City's historic Carbon Public Market are raising their voices, calling for a comprehensive review of the multi-billion peso agreement to redevelop the city's oldest trading center. During a press conference at Freedom Park on Wednesday, February 18, 2026, market leaders appealed directly to the Cebu City Council, urging officials to prioritize the welfare of local traders over private corporate interests.
A Generational Lifeline for Families
For countless families, Carbon Market represents far more than a simple shopping destination—it serves as an essential economic lifeline. Vendors shared heartfelt stories of how selling rice, vegetables, and traditional native delicacies has sustained their families across multiple generations.
Annaliza Pilones Maglasang, who specializes in selling kakanin (traditional sticky rice cakes), revealed that her family has maintained their presence at the market for four decades. She explained how her mother's rice sales provided sufficient income to fund her private college education and teaching degree. While Maglasang acknowledges the potential benefits of a cleaner, more modern market facility, she firmly believes the city should finance these improvements directly rather than transferring control to a private corporation.
Substantial Concerns Over Costs and Security
The 2021 Joint Venture Agreement between the Cebu City Government and Megawide Construction Corporation lies at the center of this escalating controversy. Community leaders like Erwin Goc-ong, president of the Cebu Market Vendors Multi-Purpose Cooperative, emphasize they are not opposed to progress but fear being systematically pushed out of their traditional spaces.
Goc-ong highlighted several critical concerns regarding the P8-billion development project:
- Rental Increases: While fees might remain manageable until 2028, vendors lack any long-term guarantee against substantial price hikes.
- Tenure Security: Traditional vendors worry they could permanently lose their established market positions in the future.
- Developer Priorities: Goc-ong argued the current agreement appears to favor the private partner's interests over those of the people who have worked at the market for decades.
Thousands of Livelihoods Hang in the Balance
The impact of this redevelopment agreement extends to thousands of individuals and families. Maria Pino, president of the Carbon Cebu United Vendors Association, noted that over 4,000 ambulant vendors and approximately 1,000 stallholders depend entirely on daily earnings from Carbon Market for their survival.
Pino and other vendor associations have already conducted meetings with city councilors, formally requesting either a complete review or outright cancellation of the existing agreement. They are specifically asking officials to examine stall allocation procedures and scrutinize relocation plans for those displaced by construction activities.
The Path Forward
This issue has evolved into one of Cebu's most hotly debated development projects. Proponents argue that modernization will improve sanitation standards and generate increased municipal revenue. However, critics express concern that excessive commercialization will ultimately marginalize traditional vendors who have formed the market's backbone for generations.
The Cebu City Council has scheduled an official review of the Joint Venture Agreement for March 17. This follows recent remarks by Councilor Sisinio Andales, who observed that most current council members were not part of the group that originally approved the deal in 2021. As this critical date approaches, Carbon Market vendors remain steadfast in their central message: genuine progress should never come at the expense of their livelihoods and community heritage.
