Vendors gripe over excessive fees

CEBU, Philippines — Vendors at Kamagayan’s Chibugan Nato Food Park have sought the Cebu City Council’s intervention after their complaints to Mayor Nestor Archival and the Business Permit and Licensing Office (BPLO) about the alleged excessive fees and “inhumane” treatment by a private organization reportedly went unanswered.

They accused the food park’s organizers of undocumented collections, harsh treatment, and the forced removal of stallholders who could not pay fees of up to P10,000.

Councilor Pastor Alcover Jr., in a privilege speech, said his office had received formal letters and personal complaints from stallholders.

“Kini usa ka pangutana sa posible nga misrepresentation, kakulang sa transparency, ug posibleng pag-abuso sa awtoridad batok sa atong micro-entrepreneurs nga nagsalig lamang sa ilang inadlaw nga kita aron mabuhi,” he told the City Council.

Alcover pointed out that the alleged fees were higher than those at Colon Night Market, which had faced controversy over collections, lamenting, “sobra pas akong nadunggan sa night market nga tag 6k.”

The affected vendors at Chibugan had also written directly to BPLO, asking for clarification on the fees and seeking legal advice from BPLO head Atty. Jared Limquiaco.

In that letter, vendor Mildred Ong described what she called the “inhumane handling of the organizers to my fellow co-vendor,” appealing for intervention.

The vendors also reportedly went to Archival, most of whom are said to be his supporters, yet according to Alcover, no concrete action followed.

“That left them no choice but to ask for the City Council’s support,” he said.

As chair of the Committee on Markets, Alcover moved for the conduct of an executive session, which was supported by his fellow council members.

The session will summon representatives from the City Administrator’s Office, the BPLO, the City Treasurer’s Office, the Office of the Market Administrator, and the officers of Independent Vendors for Empowerment and Development Federation (I-VEND-Fed), including its president Wilma Cabo, to shed light on the legality of the collections and the manner in which vendors were treated.

“Dili nato tugotan nga ang kalibog mahimong pamaagi sa pagpahimulos sa atong katawhan,” Alcover said, warning that confusion should never be used as a means to exploit small entrepreneurs.

Kamagayan, once used as a van-for-hire terminal and parking lot, was converted into a food strip during the last administration of then mayor Michael Rama, following alleged undocumented collections and management practices tied to the terminal’s operations. Years later, the same area was rebranded as Chibugan Nato.

In July 2025, the food park was relaunched with fanfare, promoted as “back and better than ever” with revamped stalls, vibrant lights, and live entertainment. — /MRM (FREEMAN)