PHilMech-Visayas met recently with the Provincial Government of Bohol’s Office of the Provincial Agriculturist (OPA) for a courtesy call.
The meeting was attended by OPA’s department head Liza Quirog and PHilMech-Visayas’ Assistant Cluster head and Science Research Analyst Everdell Asilo.
Asilo and Quirog were in Bohol to conduct a week-long skill enhancement and rice machine-operating seminar for local rice farmers who were beneficiaries of the Department of Agriculture’s Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund Mechanization Program and the Agricultural Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (ACEF).
The seminar aimed to train beneficiaries on the proper use of rice machinery distributed by PHilMech in February 2023 and make Bohol’s local rice industry more competitive.
During the week-long activity, PHilMech hosted hands-on training for farmers’ association members in Brgy. Candumayao, Catigbian.
The agency also conducted field research on the impact of machinery in rice farming and will share the study’s results with OPA once it concludes.
OPA has been assisting PHilMech in identifying beneficiaries and providing logistics for their projects since 2019.
Quirog said that PGBh, through OPA, will continue its partnership with PHilMech to modernize rice production and boost agricultural activity in the Province.
The Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (RCEF) Mechanization Program is a program that helps Filipino farmers become competitive with neighboring countries.
Through machinery grants and its adoption among the Farmers Cooperatives and Associations (FCAs), it is expected to lessen the production cost by Php3.00/kilo and can save up to 5% of postharvest losses.
The program is one of the four key components of the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Program (RCEP) established by the Rice Tariffication Law (Republic Act 11203). The other three components are inbred rice seed development, propagation, and promotion; expanded rice credit assistance; and rice extension services.
The implementation of these components is integrated and consistent with the existing Department of Agriculture interventions.