Mandaue City eyes staggered rental for its market stalls
MANDAUE CITY, Cebu — Mandaue City seeks to introduce a staggered rental adjustment system for stallholders at the City Public Market, while maintaining a temporary suspension of rental increases until mid-2026.
This developed after the Sangguniang Panlungsod of Mandaue City has approved on first reading Draft Ordinance No. 87-2044, titled the “Mandaue City Public Market Staggered Rental Adjustment Ordinance of 2026,” aims to amend Section 27 of Ordinance No. 12-2011-658, also known as the 2011 Market Code of Mandaue City.
The 2011 Market Code provides for a 10-percent periodic increase in stall rentals under existing lease agreements.
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Under the current rental structure, stall fees at the public market range from around P50 to P90, depending on location, stall size, and whether the unit is located in corner or more strategic areas of the market.
The measure was authored by City Councilor Benjamin Basiga, chairman of the Committee on Market and Abattoir and is based on a recommendation from the Mandaue City Market Authority (MCMA) through Resolution No. 2026-02-1, Series of 2026.
Under the proposed ordinance, stallholders will not be subjected to any rental increase from Jan. 1, 2025, to June 30, 2026. The proposal also prohibits retroactive increases, penalties, or surcharges related to the suspended adjustment during the moratorium period.
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Beginning July 1, 2026, the ordinance proposes the implementation of revised base rental rates, followed by a 3-percent increase starting Jan. 30, 2027. It also outlines a gradual adjustment scheme for subsequent periods, subject to city fiscal policy and market authority guidelines.
The MCMA said the measure is intended to balance the city government’s need to ensure the financial sustainability of the public market with the economic conditions affecting vendors, many of whom continue to recover from the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and recent natural disasters such as typhoons, flooding, and earthquakes.
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If eventually approved on final reading, the ordinance would require the MCMA to revise lease contracts and align all existing and future agreements with the new rental framework. The City Market Administrator and City Treasurer would be tasked with overseeing implementation and ensuring compliance with accounting rules and Commission on Audit (COA) regulations.
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