President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. on Wednesday reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to modernizing Philippine agriculture, calling the sector the “soul” of the country’s economy.

Speaking before farmers and local officials at the Kalikid Golf Course, Marcos emphasized that strengthening agriculture remains central to national growth and rural development.

“I truly believe that agriculture is the soul of our economy,” the President said as he led the distribution of farm machinery and the groundbreaking of a new agricultural manufacturing complex in Nueva Ecija.

“This is why we will continue to advance the agricultural sector with technology and the support that our farmers rightfully deserve, suited to the demands of the modern world.”

Equipment turned over

Marcos oversaw the turnover of a wide range of equipment to 44 farmer cooperatives and associations (FCAs) in Central Luzon. The distributed machinery included four-wheel-drive tractors with implements, mechanical planters, combine harvesters, and hand tractors — tools intended to help farmers reduce labor, increase productivity, and improve efficiency.

Farmers also received fertilizer, soil ameliorants, hybrid seeds, and foliar supplements to support 22,103 hectares of hybrid rice for the 2025–2026 dry-season cropping.

The President expressed hope that the equipment would ease the physical burden on farmers while boosting output.

“Never naman mangyari na magiging madali ang pagsasaka. Pero sana mapabilis ang trabaho ninyo at sana naman ay mapagaan ang inyong trabaho para naman magkaroon kayo ng panahon na makasama ang inyong mga mahal sa buhay (No matter what happens, farming will never be easy. But I hope your work becomes faster and that your tasks become lighter, so that you can have time to be with your loved ones),” he told farmers.

Earlier in the day, Marcos led the groundbreaking of the Korea Agricultural Machinery Industry Complex, the country’s first large-scale agricultural machinery manufacturing facility.