Nearly 400 sacks of NFA rice lie idle in a Tawason, Mandaue City warehouse, leftover stocks from the Sugbo Merkadong Barato program launched in November 2023. /Photo Courtesy: Joy Torrejos
CEBU CITY, PHILIPPINES — At least 397 sacks of rice from the Sugbo Merkadong Barato (SMB) program of the Cebu Provincial Government have been left to gather weevils at the National Food Authority (NFA) warehouse in Barangay Tawason, Mandaue City for over a year now.
These sacks have remained unsold since the program was launched by then-governor Gwendolyn Garcia in November 2023. The 1,076 sacks were part of the allocation of Mandaue City when it began implementing the program on January 16, 2024.
Mandaue City Mayor Thadeo Jovito “Jonkie” Ouano has tasked the City Agriculture Office and the City Health Office to assess whether the remaining rice stocks are still safe for human consumption.
This move came after the City Social Welfare Services (CSWS) sought the mayor’s recommendation on whether the rice could still be distributed.
City Administrator Atty. Gonzalo Malig-on said in an interview that he signed a memorandum last week directing both offices to inspect the rice following the CSWS’s request.
“Ang point ni mayor, sayang ang resources ba,” said Malig-on.
He added that the City Legal Office would also study possible next steps, considering that the guidelines were set by the Capitol and the city merely followed them.
CSWS head Dr. Michael Allan Pielago explained that under the Capitol-initiated P20-per-kilo rice program, not all the rice in Mandaue was sold.
Pielago pointed to three main reasons for the unsold stock. First, only individuals included on official lists were allowed to buy the rice, limiting access.
Second, he said that many beneficiaries lived in mountain barangays, making it impractical to travel to the city for just two kilos of rice, especially with added transportation costs.
“Ang expenses sa beneficiaries, dako gihapon tungod sa plete,” he said.
Third, some were discouraged due to the quality of the rice supplied by the NFA.
“Ang nahitabo, wala nahalin ang bugas. Ang remaining nga bugas naa sa Tawason, that was 2023 pa nga naa didto,” he added.
Because of this, Pielago said he sought guidance from Mayor Ouano, as the rice may no longer be suitable for distribution due to its long storage period.
In a separate interview, CSWS relief goods division supervisor Stella Alocillo said that during the program’s implementation, only QR-coded cardholders were allowed to buy the P20-per-kilo rice once a week.
These cardholders were indigent individuals, and each was limited to purchasing only two kilos weekly. Some beneficiaries also lived far from designated selling sites, further discouraging them from availing of the rice.
Alocillo cited these as key reasons the city’s rice stock remained unsold.
She added that while there was demand for rice, the two-kilo weekly limit constrained how much could be sold.
Initially, the city held scheduled sales per barangay, but as demand dwindled, CSWS shifted to selling directly at City Hall and their office.
Alocillo also revealed that some beneficiaries asked to buy more than the two-kilo limit, but they could not be accommodated due to program guidelines from the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) and the Provincial Government.
“Kato ra jung mga naay QR code mao ra gyud toy pwede makapalit,” she said.
Alocillo admitted that without such restrictions, all the allocated rice would likely have been sold.
“Daghan unta ang nihangyo, unsaon ta man ang naa ra may QR code ang naa sa lista. Nagsubay ra gyud mi,” she said.
She also noted that 80 sacks of rice were given to the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology for Persons Deprived of Liberty (PDLs).
CSWS now awaits the results of the inspection by the City Agriculture and City Health offices. If the rice is deemed safe, it will be distributed to indigent residents and other qualified beneficiaries for free.
“Ato ning ihatag nila,” Alocillo said.
She emphasized that their office continues to receive daily requests for rice from the city’s indigent population and that the remaining rice would still be put to good use if found fit for consumption.
| Written by Kristin De Dios
