Republic of the Philippines
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Philippine Center for Postharvest
Development and Mechanization
CLSU Compound, Science City of Muñoz, Nueva Ecija
(044) 4560-213, od@philmech.gov.ph

NEWS STORIES

Saint Jerome's Parish MPC receives RPS
by Vanessa D. Pallar (November 13, 2023)
"I would like to assure that this agricultural building is dedicated to the farmer-members of Saint Jerome's Parish Multi-purpose Cooperative." A remarkable response of Benedicta D. Dela Peña, chairperson of Saint Jerome's Parish Multi-Purpose Cooperative, during the Inauguration and Turnover of the Rice Processing System (RPS) on November 10, 2023, at Barangay Bakir, Bagabag, Nueva Vizcaya.

The cooperative received an RPS from the Philippine Center for Postharvest Development and Mechanization (PHilMech) under the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (RCEF) Mechanization Program. It consists of one unit of multi-stage rice mill with a 1.5 tons/hour capacity, and two units of recirculating dryers with 12 tons/batch capacity.

Assistant Chief Domingo D. Miranda of Facility Management and Field Operations Division (FMFOD) expressed,"Ang layunin ng programa (RPS) [ay] magkaroon ng maximization sa ating kikitain, increase productivity, and maging available ang pagkain (The program's objectives are to create profit maximization, increase productivity, and food availability)."

Supporting this initiative, Arsenio M. Apostol Jr., station chief of DA-Nueva Vizcaya Experiment Station (NVES) said, "Haan nga na-displace dagitoy [farm laborers], pimmintas ti biag dagiti farmers, nagdakkel ti naitulong ti PHilMech (Farm laborers were not displaced, farmers' lives became better as PHilMech was a huge help)."

He also added, "Farm mechanization nakaitid da napintas nga panagbiag dagijay laborers. Likewise, mapantayo ti dakdakkel pay a kita (The farm mechanization brought a good life to farm laborers. Likewise, we will go to a higher income)."

Saint Jerome's Parish Multi-purpose Cooperative will receive another recirculating dryer with 6 tons/batch capacity.