President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Friday, led the inauguration of the P61.7 million Rice Processing System (RPS) II Project in Pampanga and the distribution of agricultural machinery aimed at uplifting the livelihoods of more than 36,000 rice farmers across the province.
The new RPS II facility, built under the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (RCEF) Mechanization Program by the Philippine Center for Post-harvest Development and Mechanization (PhilMech), is expected to significantly improve rice processing efficiency and reduce production costs by at least P2 per kilo.
It is also projected to minimize post-harvest losses by up to 5%.
The RPS II facility features a multi-stage rice mill capable of processing 2 to 3 tons of rice per hour, with advanced equipment such as a pre-cleaner, de-stoner, huller, mist polisher, length grader, color sorter, blending tank, and an automatic packing machine.
It also has a rice hull bin, a dust collection system, and a fully air-conditioned control room.
Additionally, the system is equipped with two recirculating dryers, each with a 12-ton drying capacity per batch.
The entire system is constructed with stainless steel materials and comes with dual heating systems, a generator set, and essential tools and accessories.
According to PhilMech Science Research Specialist II Roland Ruiz, the system could raise milling recovery rates in Pampanga up to 65 percent, higher than the national average of 56–58 percent.
“Ang proseso dati ng magsasaka ay umaabot sa isang linggo. Dito naman ay oras na lang ang binibilang, makukuha na agad ‘yung palay sa lupang tinaniman (The process used to take a week for farmers. But here, it only takes a matter of hours before the rice can be harvested from the field where it was planted),” Ruiz said, emphasizing the efficiency gains for local farmers.
Pampanga’s top-producing towns
Pampanga, with nearly 60,000 hectares of rice farmland, remains one of the country’s top rice producers. As part of the event, President Marcos also handed over five rice combine harvesters to various farmer groups in the municipalities of Mexico, Floridablanca, and Magalang.
The distribution of equipment is expected to further mechanize and modernize farming practices in the province, reducing labor costs and harvest time for farmers.
The RPS II facility will be managed by local farmers’ cooperatives and associations (FCAs) to ensure that the benefits of the project directly reach those who need them most.
To date, 145 RPS facilities have been completed under the Marcos administration, with five located in Pampanga — in Guagua, Candaba, Magalang, and Santa Ana.
