List of vendors affected by Carbon development quizzed

CEBU, Philippines — The lack of responsiveness by the city market office has prompted the Cebu City Council to call for an executive session where a list of registered vendors affected by the development of Carbon Market has been questioned.

Councilor Nestor Archival Sr. said they have been requesting the city market office since 2023 to provide them the list of the vendors affected by the development in the Carbon public market.

Archival said he also requested the private company undertaking the development to give the council the list of the affected vendors but none was provided. He explained that their purpose of asking the list is to ensure that the affected vendors are protected.

“Nakatuod ang developer ana, nakasabot sad ang Market Authority, pero hangtod karon wala pay klaro ang lista nga it has been about one year na and until now wala pa gyud mo kahatag,” Archival told the market authority officials during the executive session.

The market officials told the council that Carbon Market has 52 ambulant vendors associations with 3,948 members. There are also at least 24 legitimate store owners. The list was already submitted during the executive session.

They explained that the delay in the submission of the list was due to the implementation of the ID system.

Archival, however, said they will conduct a validation of the list because he received information that some original vendors have been displaced.

“Kay naa man kuno sa lista nga dili diay vendor sa Carbon. Kung naa gani, nagtinda na before pero wala naapektahan, makita dayon nila ug ma-verify ug ma-complain. Mao nay main direction nato sa executive session,” Archival explained.

He added that they will have to separately ask the officers of the 52 vendors organizations to submit their list for crosschecking. —/FPL (FREEMAN)