President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. visited the newly built Rice Processing System (RPS) in Hamtic, Antique, underscoring his administration’s push to modernize agriculture and strengthen food security.
Marcos Jr. said the facility will produce higher-quality rice while easing farmers’ workload through automated drying and milling.
Operated by the Hamtic Multi-Purpose Cooperative, the RPS uses modern technology for palay drying, milling, and storage, and has been producing an average of 260 cavans of rice daily since operations began last November.
During the visit, the President led the distribution of extensive assistance to farmers and fisherfolk in Antique.
The Department of Agriculture (DA-6) granted P5 million to the Hamtic LGU and P1.5 million to the Hamtic MPC under KADIWA, while the University of Antique–Hamtic Campus received P1 million under the Young Farmers Challenge.
The DA also turned over P32.1 million for the Livestock Economic Enterprise Development program, P110.63 million worth of assorted farm inputs to the Antique provincial government, a P10-million corn warehouse to Patnongon MPC, and P3 million for the High Value Crops Development Program. Two solar panel systems worth P2 million were also provided to cooperatives in Patnongon and Belison.
Other support included 37,530 bags of inbred rice seeds worth P33 million from PhilRice; P8.4 million worth of farm machinery from PhilMech; and P485,213 in crop insurance checks from the Philippine Crop Insurance Corp.
Fisherfolk received 11 fiberglass fishing boats worth P770,000 from BFAR, while the Philippine Coconut Authority provided P4.4 million worth of a community-based coconut nursery to a local farmers’ cooperative.IMT
