Council flags Carbon oversight gaps

CEBU, Philippines — An investigation by the Cebu City Council has found that weak government oversight at the Carbon Public Market allowed private associations to collect various fees and impose rental charges on vendors with little regulation from city authorities.

During an executive session, the Office of the City Markets (OCM) admitted that 52 associations operating within the market have long collected daily dues and rented out weighing scales, stalls, and tents to vendors—activities not covered by the Market Code.

“Indeed there was a collection, but whether or not it is illegal, so, it is really up to the City Legal Office because what we actually gathered was there is a daily dues nga gi-collect. It has an existence since then,” OCM Administrator Elcon Concha told council members during an executive session.

Concha disclosed that most of the associations are not registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and that no single umbrella organization represents all vendors, as not all groups belong to the Cebu Coalition of the United Vendors Association (CCUVA).

To improve monitoring and accountability, he recommended the passage of an ordinance limiting vendor representation to one association per street across Carbon area. He added that some associations have effectively taken control of certain areas of the market despite having no legal basis under the Market Code.

“We are thankful nga naa ni investigation… kay kung kami lang sa Office of the City Market, you know for a fact nga kaning atong associations whether we like it or not, naa gyud niy nilaban nga pulitiko ani nila,” Concha said, adding that vendors often seek assistance from associations rather than the OCM. He did not identify the politician he referred to.

The OCM’s verification of vendor records also revealed discrepancies in association-submitted lists. Of the 3,900 names submitted, only 3,500 were found to be actively selling. Among them, 1,800 had been listed since 2023, while 1,600 were newly recorded in 2026.

Concha explained that ambulant vendors fall outside the coverage of the Market Code, leaving them largely unregulated despite being tolerated for humanitarian reasons.

He said these vendors pay “arkabala,” the official fee collected by the City Treasurer’s Office, while barangays also impose separate collections.

Councilor Pastor Alcover Jr. maintained that associations should be required to secure SEC registration and criticized the lack of city control over ambulant vendors.

He also lamented that the GASA Board, which is mandated to regulate sidewalk, ambulant, and night market vendors, has yet to be convened despite repeated calls.

“Mao unta ni dapat dampanan unta sa mga vendors kun naay problema,” Alcover said.

Councilor Alvin Arcilla, meanwhile, questioned the disparity between private collections and government revenues.

He cited reports indicating that vendors pay about P420 nightly, which could amount to nearly half a billion pesos annually, while the Market Office’s official collections reportedly range only from P130,000 to P160,000 per year.

Veteran vendor leader Maria Pino of CCUVA clarified that the P300 to P420 charges cover rentals for stalls, tents, electricity connections, and other optional services.

“Dili kini tanan koleksiyon sa asosasyon,” she said, emphasizing that vendors are not required to avail themselves of the services.

Arcilla argued that arkabala collections should be handled solely by the City Treasurer’s Office rather than private groups. Representatives of the various associations, however, denied collecting such fees.

Vice Mayor Tomas Osmeña also raised questions about the legality of association collections and the scope of their authority.

“At what point is it legal or illegal? If they collect among their own members is it illegal? I presume it’s legal because it’s an internal situation. What about the independent vendors? What are the roles of associations?” he asked, noting that no clear answers were provided during the discussion.

Other councilors likewise sought clarification on collections allegedly linked to the city’s redevelopment partner, Megawide Construction Corporation and Cebu2World Development Inc., but no definitive explanations were given. — /FPL (FREEMAN)