President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said on Wednesday that no Filipino farmer is left behind as the government continues to improve the agriculture and irrigation sector.
During the turnover of the second tranche of equipment under the National Irrigation Administration's (NIA) Three-Year Re-Fleeting Program in Pampanga, Marcos said the government continues to find better solutions for the agriculture sector.
“We will never abandon you. As we develop and modernize the agriculture sector, we will not forget or leave behind any Filipino farmer,” Marcos said in Filipino.
"We continue to seek solutions to improve farming practices and increase your yields and income," Marcos added.
Before his speech, the Chief Executive witnessed the distribution of 148 units of heavy machinery, including excavators, dump trucks, and truck tractors with trailers, to NIA.
This follows the previous turnover in December 2023, where 141 units of excavators worth an estimated 776 million pesos were handed over. These units have since been instrumental in the rehabilitation, preventive maintenance, and repair of irrigation facilities.
"May you continue to strive to improve your farms, so that your efforts may yield abundant harvests," Marcos also told the farmers.
Looking ahead, the president announced that the third tranche of the re-fleeting program will be rolled out, involving an investment of around P1 billion, by 2025.
This initiative reflects the government's steadfast commitment to enhancing the efficiency and effectiveness of the nation’s irrigation systems and supporting the agricultural sector which is a cornerstone of the Philippine economy.