Archival assures no corruption in cheap rice program

Local

AFFORDABLE rice is coming to Cebu City’s poorest families, and Mayor Nestor Archival says this time, no sacks will go to waste.

After weeks of delays, the City Council approved giving Archival the authority to sign an agreement with Food Terminal Inc. (FTI) to implement the P20-per-kilo rice program, part of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s Kadiwa ng Pangulo initiative.

Archival assured residents that distribution will be based on population percentages in every barangay, with the Department of Social Welfare and Services (DSWS) and barangay captains identifying beneficiaries.

“Ang atong syudad sa Sugbo maoy mu identify kinsay mga beneficiaries, kinsay mga- kinsa gyuy mga pobre… So walay corruption ana kay ang nahitabo muhatag certain amount ibutang nato sa FTI unya the moment nanay amount na atong mahatag tagaan ta nila through sa DSWS. Ang diha DSWS na maoy mu- ug ang barangay captain mao nay mubaligya niana,” he said.

During the council’s deliberation, Vice Mayor Tomas Osmeña opposed the resolution, raising concerns over leakages and arbitrary allocations, citing Mandaue City’s experience where hundreds of rice sacks went unsold.

Archival, however, said Cebu City’s approach would be different.

“Dili ni sama sa nahitabo sa Mandaue. Daghan kaayo ug nanginahanglan ug bugas diri, labi na kung P20 lang. Mag-inilugay pa gani na. Before ko musign, ipaagi gyud nato ug klaro ang sistema para malikayan ang daot nga mahitabo sa uban,” Archival said.

With approval secured, the city will draft detailed terms of reference with FTI and finalize budget allocation. Archival stressed the importance of committing city resources to ensure a timely rollout.

“Kung dili ta mu-commit, murag nagpabaya ta. Gamay ra man na nga counterpart, pero dako kaayo ug epekto sa atong katawhan,” he said.

Implementation is expected before the end of the year, depending on FTI’s rice supply.

The program passed after three deferments, with a council vote of seven in favor, six against, and one abstention. Opponents flagged missing details and accountability concerns.

“I’m not against people buying P20 rice, but how are we going to do this? Who else is going to buy?” Osmeña said. “Until the proponent can come up with an intelligent system safeguarding the resources of the city, I move to oppose the resolution.”

Under the plan, FTI will supply well-milled NFA rice at P33 per kilo, with local subsidies bringing the price down to P20 per kilo. Beneficiaries include indigent households, senior citizens, persons with disabilities, solo parents, disaster victims, and indigenous peoples.(TGP)