Prov’l government releases P10.2 M for food programs

The Cebu provincial government gave at least P10.2 million financial assistance to the 44 towns and seven cities for the implementation of the local government unit-operated National Food Authority outlets and the “Saksak Program.”

During an activity at the Capitol yesterday, governor Gwendolyn Garcia gave P200,000 for each town and component city. Of the amount, P100,000 will be used for the purchase of NFA rice while the remaining P100,000 will be used for the purchase of sweet potato or kamote.

Garcia is promoting Saksak or Sanduloy, a mixture of 50 percent rice and 50 percent sweet potato, as part of the drive to combat hunger amid the rising cost of rice and the scarcity of NFA rice.

The governor said this is one way of stretching the value of rice aside from gaining the nutritional value of the rootcrop.

The purchase of NFA rice, however, is only intended for the “poorest of the poor” in the province as the price of commercial rice is already beyond their reach.

Garcia, aware of the fact that the province cannot solve this problem, said the LGUs are doing their best to alleviate the suffering of the poor amid the rice shortage in the country.

Meanwhile, Garcia signed a memorandum of agreement with the town mayors for the Goat Dispersal Program of the provincial government.

The governor also distributed 12 of the 20 vehicles to different departments of the Capitol. The remaining eight SUVs are expected to be delivered by next month. — Mitchelle L. Palaubsanon/LPM