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Gwen on undisposed rice: It's a Mandaue issue
The Freeman
|September 10, 2025
Former Cebu governor Gwendolyn Garcia clarified that the disposal of the 397 unsold sacks of NFA rice under her Sugbo Mercadong Barato (SMB) program in Mandaue City is no longer her responsibility, but that of the local government unit.
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"I don’t think I should even take that up na, that is a Mandaue City issue and I think that should be confined within Mandaue City," said Garcia in a press conference on Monday, September 8.
Garcia confirmed that the rice is part of the SMB program, which was implemented in most LGUs in the province under certain conditions, including selling the stocks at a very low price.
The SMB program was launched to provide affordable rice to indigent residents of participating LGUs, with supplies sourced through the provincial government and facilitated by the National Food Authority (NFA).
“Tabang atong pwerteng mahala pang bugas, wa pa nigawas tong tag baynte ang kilo, kita may niuna anang baynte. At that time makapalit pa ta at 25 pesos sa NFA unya nipaalkansi tag 5,” Garcia explained.
This story is from the September 10, 2025 edition of The Freeman.
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