CEBU CITY, Philippines— The Cebu Market Vendors Development Cooperative (Cemvedco) is asking Cebu City Mayor Edgardo Labella to consult the market vendors first before allowing a private establishment to develop the Carbon Market.
Labella has recently announced that SM Prime Holdings has offered to build a low-rise development to modernize the popular Carbon Market.
Erwin Gok-ong, president of Cemvedco, said in a text message to CDN Digital that the development will affect the market vendors gravely, and it will take “painful” adaption before the market vendors can adjust to the development.
Read: Labella: SM to fund construction of a modern Carbon Public Market
He said the mayor has not consulted the vendors yet on the matter and believes their concerns need to be heard.
“Unta, mapa tawag mi ug consultation or consultative meeting regarding the issue nga mapaminaw sa mayor ang mga kabalaka sa among mga membro ug nga ma konsiderar pod ni Mayor ang among mga concern ug idea,” said Gok-ong.
(We hope the city will conduct a consultation or consultative meeting regarding the issue so the mayor can hear and consider our concerns on the idea.)
Gok-ong said the vendors will support the project of the mayor, but they want to be assured that a proper transition will be made. They also want assurance that when the development starts, the vendors will not have to stop selling.
“We will support this development, but we beg that the city put into the equation the plight of small and debt-ridden stallholders and for the cooperative to have a part in the operation and management,” he said.
Gok-ong hopes that management of the market will remain to be under the city with the coordination of the cooperative, to ensure that the vendors will have a say in the operations.
He said that if the development is successful and properly managed, he expects the vendors will reap the benefits of a modernized Carbon Market.
Labella said in recent statements that he will make sure the vendors will not be left out in the development.
He said that he negotiate with SM that the stores they will manage will not sell products that will compete with those of the market vendors.
He also assured that during the construction, a temporary relocation space will be allotted for the vendors. /bmjo