SMB rice allocation to Mandaue good as “sold”

CEBU, Philippines — The Cebu Provincial Government will not accept nearly 400 sacks of spoiled rice under the Sugbo Merkadong Barato (SMB) program that the Mandaue City government wants to return after failing to sell them.

Assistant Provincial Administrator Aldwin Empaces confirmed that returning the rice to the Capitol is “off the table” following consultations with the Provincial Treasurer’s Office.

“Kung ang question dawaton pa ba ni sa Cebu Province, di naman sad to magamit ug makaon so dili nasad to mauli. So dili na,” Empaces said.

Empaces explained that the SMB program in Mandaue was initiated under the previous administration of then-Mayor Jonas Cortes and then-Governor Gwendolyn Garcia.

He said that based on discussions with Provincial Treasurer Atty. Roy Salubre, the rice allocation to Mandaue was considered “sold” under a verbal agreement, making the city liable for payment.

The assistant provincial administrator said no formal memorandum of agreement (MOA) could be found to cover the transaction. However, records show the rice was distributed to Mandaue at the city’s request.

“On that note, nangayo kog paper trail… nahulog jud na wala. Pero through verbal agreement na dispose najud to,” Empaces said.

The Capitol has already billed Mandaue for the rice, which amounts to over P1.07 million in unpaid obligations.

Empaces noted that while the Capitol is open to dialogue, any legal steps Mandaue might take would be up to the city. He hopes Governor Pamela Baricuatro and Mayor Thadeo “Jonkie” Ouano can meet to settle the matter amicably.

“So far wala pamay communication nahitabo but we are hoping na moabot nana para masugdan na gyud,” Empaces said.

Mandaue earlier announced plans to return 397 unsold sacks of rice stored in Barangay Tawason after confirming they were no longer safe to eat.

Ouano said the city decided to return the stocks because there was no written contract between the two local governments.

“Walay contract jud ana, so amo na lang jud to ibalik katong nahabilin nga naa sa Barangay Tawason,” Ouano said in an earlier interview.

He expressed hope that the Province would accept the rice so it could be properly disposed of, given its current state.

A joint inspection by the City Agriculture Office and City Health Office on August 4 confirmed physical contamination in opened sacks, while unopened sacks are still undergoing testing.

Ouano ordered that none of the rice be sold or distributed to residents to avoid possible health risks.

City Administrator Gonzalo Malig-on Jr. said the problem began when the rice, stored at the National Food Authority (NFA) warehouse, remained unsold for more than a year.

According to Malig-on, the City Social Welfare Services (CSWS) Office reported that staff attempted to sell the rice after the election period, but demand was low.

The slow sales left much of the stock unused, which eventually led to weevil infestation.

Records from the Provincial Treasurer’s Office show Mandaue was allocated rice worth P1,198,000 but had only remitted P121,000 to date, leaving a balance of P1,077,000—the largest outstanding debt among the 51 local government units (LGUs) that joined the SMB program.

The SMB initiative was designed to provide affordable rice to residents of participating LGUs, with stocks sourced through the Capitol and facilitated by the NFA.

Empaces stressed that while responsibility for payment rests with Mandaue, Governor Baricuatro is open to discussing broader city-province cooperation with Mayor Ouano beyond this matter.

“Open gyud si Gov to discuss this with Mayor Jonkie… kay daghan pa pod silag angay I discuss,” he said. —/FPL (FREEMAN)