No fake rice in Sta. Fe, Esgana: Report tarnish LGU image

CEBU, Philippines - After Cebu Vice Governor Magpale dismissed allegations about the presence of fake rice in Santa Fe, town Mayor Jose Esgana said that the spreading of this false report on social media can be considered a serious offense as it places the town in a bad light.

"It will be considered a serious offense committed by persons who posted it on Facebook. Their names and printed posts will be exposed upon taking appropriate legal action. Psychological and economic sabotage resulting damages on LGU image will not just pass without cost on damage done," Esgana said.

Esgana also expressed relief that Cebu Vice Governor Agnes Magpale supported his stand that there is no fake rice in their town as alleged by the posts on social media.

Santa Fe Mayor Jose Esgana told The FREEMAN that spreading rumors of fake rice through social media can be considered a serious offense, as it places the town in a bad light.

Magpale recently dismissed allegations about the presence of fake rice in Santa Fe, as she herself tasted and smelled the rice, and concluded that there was nothing unusual.

Esgana said he also conducted his own testing and cooking.

"It's not only the Capitol did a testing and cooking. We did it too by collecting rice for testing from different barangays as early as Tuesday morning after reading a posted statement and picture on Facebook," he said.

On the two children reported to have experienced an upset stomach as claimed by a parent from Santa Fe, Esgana said the Rural Health Unit told them that it was not caused by fake rice and that there are no reports of illnesses in the town's district hospital due to the alleged consumption of fake rice.

"We monitored even the district hospital if there was illness as maliciously reported, but till now it’s negative," Esgana said.

Following Magpale’s theory that the water might have caused the illness, Esgana said there is also no water contamination in Santa Fe.

"It's (also) negative too, from water contamination. It might be a psychological effect from irresponsible posting (on) Facebook," Esgana added.

Magpale said they are waiting for test results of the rice samples sent to the Department of Agriculture laboratory.

Meanwhile, Department of Social Welfare and Development in Central Visayas (DSWD-7) Regional Director Evelyn Macapobre has stressed that beneficiaries of Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4P’s) may receive their rice subsidies as cash grants so they can freely choose rice retailers to purchase from.

"Pantawid beneficiaries have the freedom to choose where to buy the staple food of their choice. We understand that some would like to have rice, others corn or even root crops," said Macapobre in a statement.

Macapobre also acknowledged that some beneficiaries of DSWD’s Sustainable Livelihood Program (SLP) have organized themselves into associations engaged in selling rice, but pointed out that beneficiaries are not compelled to buy from these SLP associations whose members are mostly 4P’s beneficiaries.

She urged SLP associations which sell rice to get their supplies from licensed retailers and reminded them to follow the guidelines in the implementation of rice subsidy.

DSWD-7 earlier formed its own fact-finding committee to look into the complaint raised by some residents in Santa Fe town in northern Cebu over the alleged fake rice.

To note, active members of 4P’s in Central Visayas have started receiving the rice subsidy on March 2017 after the president committed to provide rice for the marginalized sector in his first State of the Nation Address.

Under the guidelines, the rice subsidy is P600 per month but the payout is set bimonthly along with the education and health grant.

DSWD-7 counted a total of 213,502 active household in Central Visayas receiving the rice subsidy: 148, 805 from Cebu; 60,858 from Bohol; and 3,839 from Siquijor. — May B. Miasco and Christell Fatima M. Tudtud (FREEMAN)