Cebu City Mayor Nestor Archival has ordered an investigation into organizations operating at Carbon Public Market following reports of anomalous daily membership fees and other charges. The mayor stated that the city is currently verifying reports that certain groups are collecting daily fees from their members.
The issue emerged amid ongoing reviews of the implementation of the Carbon Public Market redevelopment project under the joint venture agreement (JVA) between the Cebu City Government and Megawide Construction Corp.
During a press conference on Monday, May 4, 2026, Archival revealed that the city received reports of vendor groups collecting P300 per vendor daily as part of internal agreements or membership fees.
He explained that if an organization has approximately 2,000 members, the daily collection could reach P600,000. Calculated monthly, this amounts to P18 million, a significant sum that the mayor said is now under review by the city as part of its assessment of financial flows and collection systems within the market.
Consequently, questions have arisen requiring clarification, particularly regarding transparency, regulation, and accountability in the operations of vendor groups.
Following this, Archival has directed the City Market Office to validate the actual number of vendors currently operating at Carbon. He emphasized the importance of accurate data, especially since the JVA stipulates that each vendor should occupy only one stall.
“This is an unjust and disadvantageous situation for our vendors. Our vendors are already suffering, and this makes it even worse for them. What is even more painful is that those collecting fees are taking in more than what the city government collects,” Archival said.
The mayor added that validating the number of vendors will help ensure proper stall allocation, prevent double occupancy, and establish a clear basis for compliance with the agreement.
He also expressed concern over reports that some organizations are imposing additional charges on vendors for services such as electricity, weighing scales, carts, and other operational tools. There are claims that vendors who refuse to use equipment controlled by certain groups may face restrictions in their selling activities.
Despite these issues, Archival clarified that the city respects the recent court decision regarding the Carbon redevelopment, after the Regional Trial Court dismissed the petition for a temporary restraining order (TRO) and writ of preliminary injunction that sought to halt the JVA.
However, that decision does not mean the main case on the legality of the JVA has been resolved. The substantive legal issues remain pending and will be discussed in subsequent court proceedings. While the case continues, Archival stressed that the city’s priority is to protect the welfare of the vendors, verify data, and strengthen market governance as the project proceeds.
