WITH about a month left in her term, outgoing Cebu Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia has pushed for the institutionalization of a Capitol-initiated program seeking to increase yellow corn production and sustainability in the province.
On Wednesday, May 29, 2025, Garcia met with several mayors from northern Cebu at the Capitol to push for the continuation of the Sugbo Maisan program.
The mayors present included Jojo Solante of Tudela, Al Arquillano of San Francisco, Winky Santiago of Pilar and Gary Rama of Poro, all from the Camotes Group of Islands. Also in attendance were Bogo City Mayor Carlo Martinez and San Remigio Mayor-elect Mariano Martinez.
Argao Mayor Allan Sesaldo and Department of Agriculture Central Visayas Executive Director Angel Enriquez also joined the meeting.
The meeting also discussed the formation of a unified organization to have better bargaining powers with institutional buyers.
The yellow corn program first started in Medellin town in 2022. It encouraged local farmers to cultivate yellow corn, which has a higher market demand.
According to a report from the Provincial Government on Wednesday, the mayors who were present during the meeting committed to institutionalize the Sugbo Maisan program by passing a local ordinance.
Sugbo Maisan aimed to strengthen stronger inter-local government unit (LGU) collaboration, including the distribution of seeds, fertilizers, technical support and facilities to local farmers.
On May 21, 2024, Garcia met with 450 landowners and farmers in Pilar, Camotes, where she urged them to shift to yellow corn production with the support of the Provincial Government.
Capitol offered to facilitate loan applications for local farmers with around two percent interest at the Land Bank of the Philippines or the Cooperative Bank of Cebu with zero interest.
According to data from the Provincial Agriculture Office, at least 20 institutional buyers that have partnered with the Capitol have gathered demand for yellow corn totaling 426,400 metric tons annually.
These buyers use corn for feeds, chips, and other products.
They include Prifoods Corp., Universal Feed Mill Corp., San Miguel Foods Corp., Vienovo Philippines Inc., General Milling Corp., Pilmico Feeds, and Central Visayas Pork Producers Cooperative.
On Nov. 28, 2024, Garcia visited a 910-square-meter Capitol-owned lot in Purok Santan, Barangay Mercedes, Poro, Camotes — the site for a proposed corn-drying facility as part of the Sugbo Maisan program.
According to a Capitol report, the program helped sugarcane farmers in Medellin town to transition to corn production after sugar mills in the area ceased to operate.
A P5.9 million corn-drying facility in Medellin features four 15-ton corn dryers. The 428-square-meter facility is still under construction.
PSA report
Data from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) shows an increase in Cebu’s corn production.
The “Highlights of the Palay and Corn Situation of the Province of Cebu” report, released on Oct. 7, 2024, indicates 57,327 metric tons were produced in 2023. This is up from 49,124 metric tons in 2022 and 45,480 metric tons in 2021.
In 2023, white corn production dominated the most harvest at 55,960 metric tons, a substantial increase from 48,083 metric tons in 2022.
Yellow corn production reached 1,367 metric tons in 2023, up from 1,041 metric tons in 2022.
The total corn area harvested in 2023 was 56,649 hectares, which is less than the 60,975 hectares in 2022.
In terms of crop type, yellow corn was harvested from 376 hectares of land; while white corn covered 59,649 hectares in 2023.
Yellow corn serves primarily as feed grain. White corn is generally for human consumption. /EHP