Garcia: no need for an ordinance

CEBU, Philippines — Following the vendors' request to declare the Carbon Market as a heritage area, Cebu City Mayor Raymond Alvin Garcia reiterated that the city already has an existing ordinance creating a heritage district that included the known public market.

Garcia issued the statement after the “All Vendors Forum” held last week, where the vendors presented their three-point agenda: declaring Carbon Market as a cultural heritage site, for the Cebu City Council to pass an ordinance to protect all vendors' livelihoods, and to review the joint venture agreement (JVA) between the City Government and Megawide Construction Corp.

“Actually, ulahi naman na. I don’t think we are aware that we already have an ordinance creating the Heritage District in the City of Cebu,” said Garcia.

As reported by the Cebu City Public Information Office, Ordinance 2720 was passed in 2023, entitled, “An Ordinance Designating the Downtown Area of the City of Cebu as a Heritage District and Creating the Cebu City Heritage Council.”

The ordinance also authorized the creation of the Heritage District Council.

Garcia said the ordinance already included the declaration of the Carbon Market as a protected area; hence, there is no need to make a separate ordinance.

“It is already double. It is no longer a necessity... kay nahimo naman na,” said Garcia.

He added that the ordinance has already been approved by the Executive Department and is currently being implemented.

Garcia added that the ordinance outlined the specific road networks included in the Heritage District.

Following its approval, he said, the Heritage District Council has already convened.

Garcia said that the role of the Heritage Council is to ensure that the declared areas are properly protected and preserved. He shared that he has already instructed the council to come up with recommendations, particularly on guidelines that limit urban development and to align it with heritage preservation.

“I think they are almost done,” said Garcia, referring to the list of recommendations from the Heritage District Council.

In a separate interview, incoming Cebu City Mayor Nestor Archival Sr. said he will have to check on the ordinance before making a decision.

However, he added that he cannot simply ignore the vendors’ request and growing clamor.

“It’s a way of respecting them,” said Archival, noting that while a separate ordinance may not be necessary, he is committed to looking into the vendors' grievances, including the possible creation of a standalone ordinance for the Carbon Market.

He said that although someone may lobby for the ordinance, he might not have the authority to approve it immediately, as it would have to go through a series of deliberations before the new set of legislators.

Archival had attended the “All Vendors Forum,” where he personally presided and listened to the vendors’ grievances.

Archival said that while his incoming administration is committed to addressing these concerns, it will also require the cooperation of the vendors.

This came after he assessed several key issues raised during the forum.

One such issue involved negotiations that occurred even before the JVA with Megawide was enacted.

According to Archival, at that time, the vendors were not united in their stance.

On the vendors’ plan to declare the Carbon Market a heritage site, Archival previously said it is possible, given the market's rich history and its significance in the lives of many vendors.

As for the proposal to pass an ordinance protecting their livelihood, Archival emphasized that unity among Carbon vendors must first be achieved.

He noted that complaints persist regarding some vendors owning multiple stalls.

“Mao nang akong giingon nila nga ayaw na, kay ang ubang mga tindera unya, dili ma sud, mao nang ato nang plastada,” said Archival.

To address this, Archival directed the vendors to provide a complete count of all legitimate vendors so that proper negotiations can be made.

He said this after hearing from a vendor who claimed that profits dropped after being relocated to the middle section of the Carbon Market, as other areas had already been developed.

According to Archival, he intended to renegotiate these matters with Megawide to ensure that vendors are given equal opportunities amid the development.

Archival said he is pushing for the implementation of a “one vendor, one stall” policy, stressing that this should be the proper guideline moving forward. — JG (FREEMAN)