Carbon Market night vendors to get designated trading areas

CEBU CITY, Philippines — Farmers, traders, and ambulant vendors selling fresh agricultural products in portions of Carbon Market would be allowed to continue operating under a regulated night market system if a proposed ordinance is approved by the Cebu City Council.

Authored by Councilor Mikel F. Rama, the measure seeks to designate several streets within the Carbon Market area as the “Ambulant Vendors and Mountain Products Landing and Night Market,” establishing rules on operating hours, eligible vendors, sanitation, traffic management, and enforcement.

Formalizing a long-standing trading practice

The proposal states that portions of Carbon Market have served for more than 50 years as temporary landing and vending areas for fresh fruits, vegetables, and other agricultural products delivered from farming communities in Cebu and neighboring localities.

It notes that the continued operation of the traditional night market has provided consumers with access to affordable agricultural products while creating livelihood opportunities for farmers, traders, vendors, transport operators, and other stakeholders.

If approved, the ordinance would formally establish the night market as a designated temporary landing, wholesale, and retail trading area for fresh fruits, vegetables, root crops, flowers, and other agricultural commodities.

The proposal also declares it a policy of the city government to promote the efficient distribution and marketing of locally produced agricultural products, preserve Carbon Market’s long-standing agricultural trading tradition, provide farmers and vendors with an orderly trading venue, and regulate the temporary use of public streets while ensuring public safety, sanitation, environmental protection, and traffic management.

Streets covered, operating hours

Under the proposal, the designated trading areas would include portions of Manalili, Plaridel, Lincoln, Progreso, F. Gonzales, M.C. Briones, Calderon, and M.L. Quezon streets, as well as other streets identified under the Market Code as designated areas.

The night market would operate daily from 5:30 p.m. to 6 a.m. the following day.

No vending, unloading, display, or trading activities would be allowed outside the prescribed hours unless temporarily authorized by the Cebu City Council through an approved resolution.

The proposal would also allow the City Mayor, upon the recommendation of the Market Operations Division, CCTO, City Planning and Development Office, and the Cebu City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office, and after securing approval from the City Council, to increase, reduce, suspend, or modify the designated trading areas when necessary for public safety, traffic management, emergencies, or public convenience.

Priority for farmers, accredited vendors

If enacted, priority in the assignment of vending spaces would be given to farmers, farmers’ cooperatives, accredited agricultural producers, wholesalers of agricultural products, and existing legitimate vendors operating within the designated area.

The proposal requires all vendors to undergo screening and registration through the Cebu City Vendors Registration and Welfare Council before they can operate in the night market.

Each registered vendor would be assigned only one vending or display area measuring no more than two meters by two meters.

The ordinance would also prohibit vendors from transferring, leasing, mortgaging, selling, or assigning their vending privileges.

Rules on operations and sanitation

The proposed ordinance would prohibit the construction of permanent or semi-permanent structures, obstruction of sidewalks, fire exits, intersections, drainage canals, loading zones, and emergency lanes, selling outside assigned spaces, unauthorized subleasing of vending areas, leaving garbage after operations, selling prohibited or hazardous goods, and unnecessarily obstructing vehicular and pedestrian traffic.

Vendors would also be required to maintain cleanliness, segregate solid waste, provide waste receptacles, comply with food safety and sanitation regulations, and clean their assigned areas before leaving. The Department of Public Services and the Cebu City Environment and Natural Resources Office would conduct regular inspections.

To maintain order and safety, the Cebu City Transportation Office, Cebu City Police Office, and Cebu City Fire Office would oversee traffic flow, pedestrian safety, emergency access, and compliance with loading and unloading regulations.

Night market operations could also be temporarily suspended during emergencies, disasters, road repairs, public works, or official government activities.

Proposed penalties

Under the proposal, violators would first receive a written warning.

A second offense would result in the suspension of vending privileges for up to 30 days, while a third and succeeding violation would lead to the cancellation of accreditation and permanent disqualification from operating in the night market. Unauthorized structures, displays, or obstructions could also be removed by the Cebu City Government at the owner’s expense.

The proposal further provides that the Sangguniang Panlungsod would prescribe the regulatory fees for vendors through a separate revenue ordinance, while the Market Operations Division would draft the implementing rules and regulations within 30 days if the measure is approved.

The ordinance would take effect 15 days after publication in a newspaper of general circulation, but only after it completes the legislative process and is enacted.

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