A TOTAL of 24 farmer cooperatives and associations, and local government units (LGUs) in Negros Occidental received farm machineries under the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (RCEF) Mechanization Program worth a total of P178.57 million on Wednesday, October 22, 2025.
The turnover ceremony, led by Negros Occidental Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson along with Bago City Mayor Marina Javellana-Yao, Engr. Mae Ville Castro, Chief Science Research Specialist, Mary Ann Duran, representative of Senator Kiko Pangilinan, and Dr. Dina Genzola, OIC-Provincial Agriculturist of Negros Occidental, was held at the Bago City Community Center.
The provision of farm machinery is under the RCEF Mechanization Program of the Department of Agriculture–Philippine Center for Postharvest Development and Mechanization (DA-PHILMECH), in coordination with the Office of the Provincial Agriculturist (OPA).
Lacson expressed his gratitude to DA-PHILMECH for the various projects extended to the farmers of Negros Occidental.
Lacson said these initiatives will significantly enhance the productivity and efficiency of local farmers, providing them with better access to modern technology and sustainable agricultural practices.
The governor emphasized that such support strengthens the province’s efforts toward achieving food security, rural development, and improved livelihoods for farming communities.
The agricultural modernization projects are sourced from the RCEF 2024–2025 fund, which aims to enhance farm productivity, reduce production costs, and improve the overall competitiveness of rice farmers in the province. (MAP)