Cebu Councilor Demands Immediate Formation of Carbon Market Oversight Committee
In a decisive move to safeguard the interests of local vendors, Cebu City Councilor Joel Garganera has issued an urgent call to the Office of the Mayor. He is pressing for the immediate convening and appointment of members to the Project Oversight Committee (POC) for the Carbon Market Redevelopment Project. This action is mandated under the 2021 Joint Venture Agreement (JVA) between the Cebu City Government and Megawide Construction Corp., which tasks the POC with monitoring project compliance and addressing vendors' concerns.
Joint Inspection Proposed to Validate Vendor Data
Garganera has also proposed a joint, on-site ocular inspection involving leaders of various vendor associations and Cebu2World Development Inc. (C2W), a subsidiary of Megawide. This inspection aims to validate the master list of ambulant vendors, eliminate discrepancies, and ensure that the city's large vendor population—estimated by the Carbon-hanong Alyansa at around 6,000—is not displaced during the redevelopment. The councilor emphasized that this would provide accurate, on-the-ground data, addressing concerns raised by vendors during an executive session on March 17 regarding relocation procedures and their participation in the process.
POC Structure and Responsibilities
Under Section 4.1 of the JVA, the POC will consist of seven members: four nominated by Megawide and three designated by the City Government, with appointments made annually. The committee will serve as the principal body for regular communication between the parties, ensuring transparency and accountability. Garganera highlighted that the City has yet to submit its list of nominees, as required at the start of each year, to oversee compliance and protect vendor welfare.
Implications for Fee Collection and Project Progress
The urgency of forming the POC was underscored earlier on February 12, when Mayor Nestor Archival blocked a plan that would have allowed C2W to start collecting fees from vendors. Archival stated that without the POC, such proposals could not proceed. Jynx Chanjueco, C2W's marketing and corporate affairs manager, echoed this, confirming that no rate changes would be implemented without close coordination with the City Government. Garganera's proposed resolutions for the City Council's regular session on March 24, 2026, stress that once formed, the POC must promptly address vendors' concerns to facilitate smooth project implementation.
The Carbon Public Market modernization is being implemented in three phases: Units 1 and 2 and Compaña Maritima (Phase 1), Freedom Park (Phase 2), and Sitio Bato and Unit 3 (Phase 3). The oversight committee is seen as a critical mechanism to balance development goals with the protection of local livelihoods, ensuring that the redevelopment proceeds with fairness and integrity.
