City to increase rental at Carbon stalls

CEBU, Philippines - The Cebu City government wants to increase the rental rate of stalls at the Carbon Public Market.

At present, 1,800 vendors pay P3 per square meter per day. Most of the vendors occupy at least three to six square meters.

In his proposed amendment to the city’s market code, Councilor Alvin Arcilla, chairperson of the City Council’s committee on markets, said the last time the city changed the rental rate at the Carbon market was 20 years ago.

Cebu City, too, has the lowest rental rate among the local government units here.

Erwin Goc-ong, president of the Cebu Market Vendors Development Cooperative, said the group will not object to the move as long as the change is implemented gradually.

Mayor Tomas Osmeña himself does not want the increase to be drastic so that the vendors will not be burdened too much. The group is proposing an increase of P6 per square meter per day.

"Ang atong rental rates kay way below sa laing siyudad. So ang pamahayag ni Mayor Tomas Osmeña nga it’s high time na nga mohimo sa among responsibilidad isip naa diha sa merkado," Goc-ong said.

He said prices of goods at the market will not increase as an effect of the increase in rent.

"Gamay ra ang P6 pero ato tan-awn tungod sa kagamay, ang mga taw adto gyud padulong sa Carbon kay barato man ang palaliton… ang mga taga Mandaue, diri mangompra ug uban pa," Goc-ong said.

Arcilla’s proposed amendment to the ordinance will be fined tuned and will be subject to final deliberation in the City Council. — /JMO (FREEMAN)