President Ferdinand "Bongbong" R. Marcos Jr. on Friday graced the inauguration of the country’s first mobile soil laboratory that would boost the agricultural sector.

In a ceremony in Malacañang, Marcos stressed the significance of procuring the mobile soil laboratory to provide farmers with modern technologies that would help in effectively dealing with the challenges in farming.

“Ito kaya ngayon, ang araw na ito’y makasaysayan—dahil makasaysayang hakbang na nagbibigay-diin sa kahalagahan ng agrikultura sa ating adhikain nang masiguro ang sapat na pagkain, mauunlad na pamayanan, at mas nagkakaisang bayan (This is a historic move that would highlight the importance of agriculture in our goal to ensure sufficient food, prosperous communities, and a more united people),” Marcos said in his speech.

He said the government is committed to ensuring a more resilient economy by taking good care of Filipino farmers and other agricultural stakeholders.

The mobile soil laboratory is a 10-wheeler truck with state-of-the-art equipment, facilities, resources, and safety features.

It can conduct 44 soil chemical, physical, and microbiological parameters.

Once the mobile soil lab has been utilized, farmers will just have to wait for laboratory test results for five days.

Services will also be provided for free during the initial operation of the laboratory.

Marcos said the project would provide farmers with more knowledge in farming activities using advanced tools more scientifically.

The Bureau of Soils and Water Management is set to deploy the mobile soil lab at the National Soil and Water Resources Research Development Center Lowland Ped-Ecological Zone in San Ildefonso, Bulacan, serving farmers in Central Luzon.

The bureau is also eyeing the procurement of an additional 16 units to be deployed in other agricultural areas nationwide.