Fifteen farmers’ cooperatives and associations (FCAs) in Luzon have expressed their support for extending the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (RCEF). They specifically highlighted the Mechanization Program, which has given them access to rice production and postharvest technologies.
Around 45 FCA members gathered to discuss the proposed amendments to the RCEF for its second phase during a consultative meeting and focus group discussion held at PHilMech Main Office on June 29, 2024.
These FCAs represent provinces in Luzon including Bongabon, Peñaranda, Science City of Muñoz, and Lupao in Nueva Ecija; San Idelfonso in Bulacan; Candaba in Pampanga; Tarlac City in Tarlac; Mangaldan, San Jacinto, and Urdaneta in Pangasinan; Bagabag and Bambang in Nueva Vizcaya; Santiago in Isabela; and Sta. Cruz and Pila in Laguna.
Established under the Rice Tariffication Law (RA 11203) in 2019, the RCEF is a six-year program with an annual budget of 10 billion pesos. It aims to provide machinery, seeds, credit, and extension support to rice farmers across major producing provinces in the Philippines.
In its final year, Senator Cynthia Villar, the law’s author, facilitated the event through the Committee on Agriculture, Food, and Agrarian Reform (CAFAR) and PHilMech to gather testimonials, suggestions, and opinions regarding the program’s impact. These inputs will guide amendments to the Rice Tariffication Law based on feedback from beneficiaries.
Key figures such as PHilMech Dir. IV Dr. Dionisio G. Alvindia, Senator Villar’s Chief of Staff Atty. Rhaegee B. Tamaña, CAFAR Secretary Atty. Philip Lina, Senate Economic Planning Office Dir. Xerxes Nitafan, alongside other Senate officials and PHilMech delegates, led the event. It concluded with board resolutions from the 15 FCAs advocating for the extension of the program.
(FB, DA-PhilMech, July 4, 2024)
