Ouano to look into Mandaue’s rice program deal with Capitol

Local

MANDAUE City will verify if a contract exists with the Cebu Provincial Government for the Sugbo Merkado Barato (SMB) rice program before it settles any payment obligations and liabilities.

Mayor Thadeo “Jonkie” Ouano on Saturday, August 9, said the city wants to clarify the agreement first before addressing its dues.

The announcement came after officials confirmed that 397 sacks of SMB rice stored in a warehouse in Barangay Tawason, Mandaue were no longer safe for human consumption.

Inspectors from the City Agriculture Office and the City Health Office found opened sacks contaminated and infested with pests.

Authorities plan to send unopened sacks to the Department of Agriculture Regional Office for further testing, but have already deemed them unsuitable for distribution.

City Administrator Atty. Gonzalo Malig-on Jr. already said the absence of a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) between the two local governments has stalled the city’s plan to dispose of the rice and settle its unpaid balance with the province.

“Wala pay available copy, way nakahibaw kinsay naay copy or naa ba gyud nay MOA,” Malig-on said.

Records from the Cebu Provincial Treasurer’s Office show the city owes the highest unpaid balance among 51 LGUs at P1,077,000.

The city was supposed to remit P1,198,000 for 1,198 sacks of rice allocated to 4,137 indigent beneficiaries but has so far paid only P121,000.

Malig-on said Ouano immediately ordered that none of the rice be sold or distributed.

The city is considering returning the stock to the province, but without the MOA, officials cannot determine whether the rice was delivered on consignment or considered paid upon delivery.

“If we have that document then we can decide kung unsay best,” Malig-on said.

He added that officials have tried but failed to secure a copy of the MOA from personnel involved in the previous administration.

The City Social Welfare and Services (CSWS) office, which implemented the program locally, has been asked to explain why the rice remained undistributed despite having a year to dispose of it after its 2023 delivery.

Malig-on disputed CSWS’ claim that the barangay election ban prevented distribution, noting the restriction lasted only 10 days in October 2023 and that there was no election ban in 2024.

“They had one year to dispose,” he said, adding that the mayor expressed disappointment over the missed opportunity to help residents in need.

The marked its 56th Charter Day on August 9, with a medical mission at the city’s sports complex, offering free consultations, medicines, and vitamins to residents from 27 barangays.

Led by Ouano, the event also featured free bone scanning and anemia screening for the first 100 patients, a first in the city’s medical missions.(MyTVCebu)