In a major push to modernize the country’s agricultural sector, President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. inaugurated a ₱61.7 million Rice Processing System (RPS) II in Pampanga on Friday, September 19, 2025. The facility, along with newly distributed farm machinery, is expected to benefit over 36,000 rice farmers across the province.

The RPS II, funded under the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (RCEF) Mechanization Program and implemented by the Philippine Center for Postharvest Development and Mechanization (PhilMech), is designed to streamline rice processing and reduce production costs by at least ₱2 per kilo. It also aims to cut post-harvest losses by up to five percent.

Pampanga, one of the country’s top rice-producing provinces with nearly 60,000 hectares of farmland, now hosts five RPS facilities under the Marcos administration. The latest system features a multi-stage rice mill capable of processing two to three tons of rice per hour. It includes advanced components such as a pre-cleaner, de-stoner, huller, mist polisher, length grader, color sorter, blending tank, and automatic packing machine—plus two recirculating dryers with a 12-ton capacity each.

“This technology drastically shortens the time farmers wait to process their harvest—from days to mere hours,” said Roland Ruiz, PhilMech Science Research Specialist II. He noted that the facility could raise milling recovery rates to 65 percent, well above the national average of 56 to 58 percent.

In addition to the RPS II, President Marcos turned over five rice combine harvesters to the municipalities of Mexico, Floridablanca, and Magalang. The equipment is expected to further boost productivity and reduce labor-intensive practices in the region.

The new facility will be operated by local farmers’ cooperatives and associations (FCAs), reinforcing the administration’s commitment to community-led agricultural development.