Cebu City officials are investigating a shadow economy of unregulated fees at Carbon Public Market, where vendors are forced to pay hidden charges that ultimately increase food prices for consumers. While the official daily tax, known as the arkabala fee, is only P20, vendors reportedly pay up to P300 to P480 per day in unverified service charges for water, electricity, stall cleaning, and weighing scales.
Two-Tier Payment System
Every vendor at Carbon Market pays fees in two distinct ways. The first is the official arkabala fee of about P20 per day, collected by the City Market Office for public services like road repairs and maintenance. The second is a hidden layer of payments organized by cooperatives or private groups, which remain unverified and unregulated.
Collections Confirmed
Erwin Gok-ong, former president of the Cebu Market Vendors Development Cooperative, acknowledged the existence of these parallel collections. "If you ask me if there are collections, the answer is yes. I will not deny that," he said. He described the payments as service-based arrangements, where vendors pay for optional services like cleaning or equipment. "If a vendor does not want to avail of a service, then there is no payment," he added.
Mayor Orders Investigation
Mayor Nestor Archival has launched a probe to verify the collections and determine whether private groups are profiting more than the city government. He ordered the City Market Office to count all vendors and track the flow of funds. Concerns have also been raised over commissions collected by third parties during the market's redevelopment, blurring the lines between public service and private profit.
Impact on Consumers
Officials warn that the unregulated fees are driving up the cost of food for families who shop at Carbon Market. Vendors forced to pay hundreds of pesos daily must raise prices on vegetables, meat, and fish to stay afloat. To address this, leaders propose requiring all service providers in the market to register with the city, bringing shadow fees into the light and preventing overcharging.
The integrity of Cebu's most famous market depends on transparency. Until a clear registry is established, both vendors and shoppers remain vulnerable to unregulated fees. The investigation's outcome will determine whether Carbon Market can remain an affordable place for everyone.
