The province of Pangasinan, one of the top producers of rice in the country, received Php115M worth of farm machinery from the Department of Agriculture-Philippine Center for Postharvest Development and Mechanization (DA-PHilMech) under the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (RCEF) on March 1, 2023 in Lingayen, Pangasinan.

A total of 142 units of machinery were turned over and are expected to benefit 89 FCAs from 42 cities and municipalities of Pangasinan.

Among these machinery were the rice combine harvester, hand tractor, precision rice seeder, walk-behind transplanter, riding-type transplanter,rice reaper, 6T recirculating dryer, mobile rice mill, and single pass rice mill.

Vice Governor Mark Ronald Lambino of Pangasinan praised the pangasinense farmers for providing food to the entire province, especially in times of pandemic.

“Mataas ang pagtingin natin sa ating mga magsasaka lalo na noong panahon ng dahil hindi sila tumigil sa pagtatrabaho para maibigay ang pangangailangan ng ating mga kababayan” he said. 

“Part of the RCEF program is upgrading the technology in terms of agriculture that will benefit our farmer”, Hon. Lambino added to emphasize the goal of the program.

Meanwhile, Atty . Gerald Tabadero, District chief of staff delivered the message of Hon. Christopher de venecia representative of 4th district of pangasinan.

“Nagpapasalamat kami sa Department of Agriculture-PHilMech sa pamamahagi ng makinaryang pansaka. Asahan ninyo na kasama natin ang ating congressman sa kanyang adbokasiya sa pagpaplakas at pagpapalago ng agrikutura sa bansa” as he expressed gratitute for recieving the machinery.

“Ang mga matatanggap natng makinarya ay napakahalaga sa pagpapadali ng trabaho,makatipid sa gastos at mapadami ang kita.Mainam na may makinaryang epektibo” he added.

Engr. Domingo Miranda of Field Operations Divisions of PHilMech delivered the message of PHilMech Director IV Dionisio Alvindia.

Engr. Miranda urged the farmer beneficiaries to take good care of the machinery to be able to benefit not only today but the next generations.

In addition, he also confirmed that a total of Php900.5 million worth of farm machinery were turned over to Pangasinan province from 2019-2022.

“Malaki ang pasaslaamat ko na nabiyayaan kami ng libreng makinarya dahil alam kong makatutuling ito sa kapwa ko mag sasaka lalo na sa pagpapdali ng gawain sa bukid,” Salvacion Tambungon of Young and Adult Farmers of Angio Consumers Cooperative as she thanked the implementers of the program.

Awarding of certificates to FCA beneficiaries concluded the activity. (Jona Paulo, FB, DA-PhilMech)