ON CARBON MARKET AS HERITAGE SITE: Garcia: no need for an ordinance

Following the vendors' request to declare the Carbon Market as a heritage area, Cebu City Mayor Raymond Alvin Garcia reiterated that the city already has an existing ordinance creating a heritage district that included the known public market.

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Garcia issued the statement after the “All Vendors Forum” held last week, where the vendors presented their three-point agenda: declaring Carbon Market as a cultural heritage site, for the Cebu City Council to pass an ordinance to protect all vendors' livelihoods, and to review the joint venture agreement (JVA) between the City Government and Megawide Construction Corp.

“Actually, ulahi naman na. I don’t think we are aware that we already have an ordinance creating the Heritage District in the City of Cebu,” said Garcia.

As reported by the Cebu City Public Information Office, Ordinance 2720 was passed in 2023, entitled, “An Ordinance Designating the Downtown Area of the City of Cebu as a Heritage District and Creating the Cebu City Heritage Council.”

The ordinance also authorized the creation of the Heritage District Council.

Garcia said the ordinance already included the declaration of the Carbon Market as a protected area; hence, there is no need to make a separate ordinance.

“It is already double. It is no longer a necessity... kay nahimo naman na,” said Garcia.

He added that the ordinance has already been approved by the Executive Department and is currently being implemented.