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A TOTAL of 397 sacks of unsold rice from the Sugbo Merkado Barato (SMB) program are no longer safe for human consumption, based on initial findings from Mandaue City Government offices.

City Administrator Sally Malig-on said in an interview on Thursday, August 7, 2025, that a random inspection conducted by the City Agriculture Office and City Health Office found the rice unfit to eat.

“According to the initial test, they recommended that the rice is not fit for human consumption,” Malig-on said.

Further analysis is underway with the help of the Department of Agriculture’s regional office.

However, Malig-on said that based on initial results at the city level, both offices no longer recommend the rice for public distribution.

He noted that sacks, which had already been opened, showed signs of physical contamination.

He added that for the unopened sacks, further testing is being conducted by expert agencies.

Mayor Thadeo “Jonkie” Ouano has already directed that the City must not sell or distribute the rice to indigent families.

Malig-on said the City must be cautious and not gamble with human lives, emphasizing that this was the mayor’s order that the spoiled rice should no longer be distributed or forced for public use.

Instead, the City is exploring alternative ways to dispose of the rice that will not involve human consumption.

However, legal uncertainties are now hampering the City’s next steps, as officials are still trying to determine if a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) was signed with the Cebu Provincial Government regarding the rice allocation.

“We don’t even know if a MOA exists. Without that document, we don’t know how to proceed whether to return the stocks or pay for them,” Malig-on said.

Malig-on said he had called the provincial treasurer regarding the P1 million that has yet to be remitted.

They will reconcile the city’s records, as the initial understanding on their end was that it was under consignment. However, the Province maintained that the rice stocks were indeed for payment.

“We need to reconcile our records. The mayor and the City Treasurer will sit down to figure out the best course of action. But without a MOA to guide us, we’re still in limbo,” he said.

Malig-on also confirmed that a letter has been sent to the City Social Welfare and Services (CSWS) Office, requesting an explanation regarding the sale of the P20 per kilo rice packs and why the stocks were not completely sold.

If probable cause is found, a formal investigation will follow.

“This happened during the previous administration, so we still don’t know who was directly responsible. For now, CSWS is the only office we can initially pinpoint,” he said.

He could not yet estimate the value of the 397 sacks of spoiled rice, which were part of over 1,000 sacks the City received from the Province under the SMB program.

Malig-on also rejected suggestions that the rice remained unsold due to the election ban.

He does not believe the election ban was the reason, pointing out that the rice was not affected by the 2023 barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan election ban.

After that, there was no election-related restriction throughout 2024, which gave them a full year to sell the rice. The next election ban would only be in 2025.

He believes the problem may have stemmed from the program’s mechanics.

Only indigent residents were allowed to purchase the rice limited to two kilos per person, which may have discouraged people from far barangays from buying.

“Moving forward, if there are similar programs, we need to thoroughly study their practical aspects. Just because it’s P20 per kilo doesn’t mean it’s workable,” he said.

He said it is not practical for someone to spend money on transportation just to buy two kilos of rice.

Whether or not the City will pay the P1 million remains uncertain. Malig-on said that will depend on how the agreement, if any, was structured, and how talks with the Capitol proceed.

He added that Mayor Ouano was dismayed upon learning about the situation, especially since many people are in need and the rice could have helped if it had only been left unsold for a few months not years.

He added that even if there had been a temporary election ban, there was still the whole of 2024 to resume selling the rice, yet no one seemed to have considered restarting the distribution during that time. (CAV)

Source : sunstar