The Cebu Provincial Government is targeting the full operation of its P22.8 million corn drying facility in Medellin by the second or third week of October 2026, with the project expected to serve farmers in northern Cebu.
The facility was built under the provincial government’s Sugbo Maisan program, which aims to expand corn production on idle agricultural land, including former sugarcane areas. Construction began in early 2025 but was delayed after a magnitude 6.9 earthquake struck Cebu on September 30, 2025.
Provincial Agriculture Office Engineer Ceferino Lague Jr. said the earthquake damaged some electrical components at the facility. Severe weather and concerns over continuing aftershocks also delayed the return of construction workers to the site.
Once operational, the facility will serve farmers from Medellin and nearby areas, including San Remigio, Bogo City and Daanbantayan. It has a processing capacity of 60 tons through four 15-ton recirculating dryers.
The project includes a P5.9 million contract for construction of the facility, awarded to Mega Dynamics Construction, and another P16.9 million for the supply, delivery and installation of the dryers and related equipment.
Operations are currently awaiting the completion of electrical work. The facility requires a specialised three-phase power connection to operate its heavy-duty motors.
The provincial government is working on a memorandum of agreement with the Cebu II Electric Cooperative Inc. for the installation of an eight- to nine-kilometre power line from Barangay Curva to Caputatan in Medellin. The cost of the power-line installation will be paid through staggered monthly billings once the facility begins operating.
Lague said a recent inspection confirmed that the facility remains structurally stable. The provincial government will initially operate the corn dryer itself while considering whether to eventually engage a third-party operator.
Machinery testing is scheduled for October to coincide with the ongoing corn harvest season.
The facility forms part of Cebu’s broader effort to increase local corn production. Provincial Agriculture Office head Roldan Saragena said the province is targeting 5,000 hectares for white corn and 10,000 hectares for yellow corn production in 2027.
White corn remains a focus for local food consumption, particularly for processing into corn rice, while the provincial government is promoting yellow corn because of improved varieties and strong demand from the livestock and poultry industries.
The provincial government said expanding corn production on idle farmland could help strengthen local food supplies and reduce dependence on imported animal feed.
