Carbon advocates to launch nationwide anti-privatization campaign on public markets

Advocates from Carbon Market in Cebu City are pushing for a nationwide campaign to protect public markets from privatization and redevelopment projects, saying similar struggles are happening in several cities across the country.

The call was raised by Kuya Ricky Gomez during the “KINABUHI: Bagsakan sa UP” situationer, at the University of the Philippines Cebu, May 22.

According to Kuya Gomez, the problems facing the Carbon Market are part of a wider national trend of privatizing public markets and turning them into public-private partnerships (PPPs).

“Sa tinuod lang, ang Carbon man gud usa ra ni, pero kung tan-awon nimo ang tibuok nasod, naa ni’y trend na ang mga public market target na,” Kuya Gomez of Carbohanong Alyansa Alang sa Reporma ug Bahandianong Ogma sa mga Nanginabuhi (CARBON) said.

(Honestly, Carbon is just one example, but if you look at the whole country, there’s a trend where public markets are being targeted.)

In response, CARBON and its supporters are now seeking to connect vendors and communities from different cities to form a broader alliance to defend public markets nationwide.

“Paningkamot namo na makakonek aning tanan-tanan na mga public markets, labi na sa ilang mga vendors, para makaporma mi ug nationwide na campaign pag-protect sa tanang public markets sa tibuok Pilipinas,” Kuya Gomez said.

(We are trying to connect all these public markets, especially their vendors, so that we can build a nationwide campaign to protect all public markets throughout the Philippines.)

The campaign is also expected to elevate its demands to the national level, with organizers aiming to bring their calls before Congress and the Senate.

In addition, CARBON Chairperson Jovelyn Gomez said that the organization will also launch a “series of mass actions” to further solidify their campaign, following their soft launch of the “Save Carbon Market Movement” initiative last April 27. 

Linking nationwide struggles

Kuya Gomez cited several cities where public markets have either undergone or are facing privatization efforts. 

In Baguio City, he noted that vendors and residents continue to oppose plans to redevelop the city’s public market through PPP arrangements despite strong pushes from local officials.

He also pointed to developments in Iloilo City where two public markets, including the Central Market and Terminal Market, have already been redeveloped with private sector involvement. 

Citing this as a warning for Carbon vendors, Ate Gomez said they fear facing the same situation as ambulant vendors in Iloilo, which urged the need to intensify their campaign.

“Kung dili mi molihok ug dili mi maningkamot gyud na e-abante ni ang among campaign, mapareho mi sa mga vendors sa Iloilo, na ang mga ambulant [vendor] gitagaan nalang kausa sa usa sa adlaw maninda sa ilang merkado; sa usa sa semana sulod sa tulo ka oras,” Ate Gomez said. “Kami, kausa ra ba diay mi mokaon?”

(If we do not act and continue pushing forward with our campaign, we will end up like the vendors in Iloilo, where ambulant [vendors] were only allowed to sell in the market once a week for three hours. How about us, do we only eat once a day?)

To recall, concerns were raised that privatizing Carbon could raise rental fees from P300 to P1,000, leading to higher prices and reducing its role as a source of affordable goods.

As of the current situation, the group urged the City Council to review the joint venture agreement as soon as possible, citing concerns over Megawide Construction Corporation’s repeated announcements regarding the transfer of vendors by December. 

They also called for the review to be completed before October or November and appealed for the suspension of any construction while the review is ongoing.

“Ginakulbaan pud ang mga vendors ana. Ginakulbaan in a sense nga naa ba silay lugar ngadto inig balhin? Makapaninda pa ba diha sila sa ilang mga himutangan, o sa laktod—makapadayon ba sila [ug] panginabuhi diha sa Carbon?” Gomez said in an exclusive interview with Explained PH.

(The vendors are also worried about that. They are worried in the sense of whether they will still have a place once they are transferred, whether they can continue selling in their areas, or simply whether they can still continue their livelihood in Carbon.)

Aside from the forum discussions, vendors from Carbon Market also participated in the “Bagsakan sa UP,” where they sold locally sourced products inside the university.

Organizers said the activity sought to directly support the livelihoods of Carbon vendors while strengthening solidarity between students and the market community.

Through Project Kinabuhi, organizers renewed calls for greater public support and collective action in defending public markets and the communities that depend on them for survival.

The forum formed part of Project Kinabuhi, an initiative organized by NSTP Section O students of UP Cebu under the theme “Pagpakabana ug Pagpanalipod sa Katawhang Carbonhanon.”