P290-M Farm Machinery Turned Over to Western Visayas Farmers

In line with the government’s continuing commitment to improving the livelihoods of Filipino farmers and ensuring national food security, the Philippine Center for Postharvest Development and Mechanization (PHilMech) conducted the Regional Turnover and Distribution of Agricultural Machineries on October 22, 2025, in Calinog, Iloilo.

The event was attended by nearly one hundred farmer-beneficiaries from the provinces of Antique, Aklan, and Iloilo, together with representatives from farmers’ cooperatives and associations, local government units (LGUs), partner stakeholders, and officials from PHilMech. Provincial governors and congressional district representatives also graced the occasion in support of the government’s agricultural mechanization initiatives.

A total of 35-four-wheel drive tractors, 2 precision rice seeds, 34 combine harvesters, 11 drying systems, and 18 village-type rice mills, amounting to PHP290 million, were formally turned over to qualified farmers’ cooperatives and associations (FCAs) in the region.

The distribution activity forms part of the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (RCEF) mechanization program implemented by the Department of Agriculture (DA) through PHilMech. The program aims to strengthen farmers’ access to modern agricultural machinery and technologies that enhance efficiency in rice production and post-harvest operations.

During his message, DA-Western Visayas Regional Executive Director Dennis R. Arpia commended PHilMech for its continued initiatives in promoting agricultural mechanization. He also underscored the importance of the distributed machinery in improving farmers’ efficiency. “Napakahalaga po ang inyong tulong at sana po tuloy-tuloh nating itong magawa, hindi lang sa panahon o termino na ito, kundi habang nangangailangan ang ating bansa at ang ating mga kababayan ng pagkain galing sa pawis ng ating mga magsasakang Pilipino,” Arpia expressed to DA-PHilMech

Under the Rice Mechanization Component of the RCEF, PHilMech endeavors to improve the productivity, profitability, and global competitiveness of Filipino rice farmers through the adoption of appropriate mechanization technologies across production and postproduction stages.

The intervention is expected to deliver significant benefits to farmer-beneficiaries, including a reduction in production costs by PHP 2 to PHP 3 per kilogram through efficient and precise mechanized systems, and a 3-5% decrease in post-harvest losses through the use of improved postproduction technologies.

Furthermore, the mechanization program contributed to the development of the local agricultural machinery manufacturing industry, promotes employment generation, encourages the use of locally fabricated technologies, and supports the timeliness of farm operations, thereby resulting in creased productivity and higher income for farmers.

Through this initiative, PHilMech reaffirms its steadfast commitment to empowering farmers, modernizing agricultural practices, and fostering a more resilient, competitive, and sustainable rice industry in the country.###

Story by Je Erryl Shayne Esmao/DA-RAFIS 6