Vendors at Carbon Public Market in Cebu City posted placards in front of their stalls to appeal against the privatization of the city’s largest public market.
The protest came ahead of the City Council’s executive session reviewing the joint venture agreement (JVA) between the Cebu City government and Cebu2World Development Inc., a subsidiary of Megawide.
For many vendors, Carbon is their home. Some have spent over 40 years selling vegetables, meat, and fish in the market. Others were born and raised there, inheriting their stalls from parents and grandparents.
“Sa 40 ka tuig nakong pagpaninda, karon pa mi nakasuway ani,” said Nanay Alice, a vendor who has been selling at Carbon for decades.
They fear that once the market is privatized, rental fees will skyrocket, making it difficult for small businesses to cope with existing taxes and permits.
Under the proposed joint venture agreement, only a small portion of the 7.8-hectare market would be set aside for vendors, while the rest would be developed into commercial spaces not intended for public market trading. Vendor groups said the plan could push small traders out in favor of business ventures that do not serve the everyday needs of ordinary consumers.
They added that the redevelopment would also mean higher fees for meat and fish products, with rates that could increase by up to 12 times the current amount. This, they warned, could not only force small traders out of business but also drive up the cost of basic goods for Cebuano families.
But their fears go beyond numbers. Vendors said the real threat is losing a way of life that has sustained generations.
Every night, they make their presence felt through noise barrages, banging on pots and pans, with their chants echoing through the market aisles. It is a desperate plea that they hope city officials will hear.
“Ang among hangyo, ibasura ang kontrata. Protektahan ang mga vendors sa Carbon. Dili mi kontra sa kalamboan, pero dapat ang gobyerno, dili pribadong kompanya, ang magpaugdaw sa merkado,” vendor groups said in a united statement.
As discussions on privatization continue, vendors remain firm: they will not give up without a fight. For them, saving Carbon Market means saving themselves.
