The Department of Agriculture said that more investments are being prepared to sustain the momentum.
According to a press statement by the DA, it noted that the government will be meeting its three-year goal of 145 new Rice Processing Systems (RPS) in the country before the end of the year.
Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. said that this initiative was implemented through the Philippine Center for Postharvest Development and Mechanization (PhilMech) under the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (RCEF) Mechanization Program.
It is designed to tackle the chronic lack of drying and milling facilities that continue to plague Filipino rice farmers.
Adding the new RPS, the government has established a total of 151 Rice Processing Systems nationwide.
In addition to the 145 RPS units, the DA has budgeted PHP3.3 bilion to roll out 300 more drying systems across the country over the next three years.
The department said that its goal is to raise rice drying capacity to 35–40 percent during the wet season before the end of the Marcos administration in 2028.
“The Philippines has underinvested in postharvest systems for decades. This is a strong step forward, but structural issues in rice production can’t be solved by drying facilities alone. There must be parallel moves to ensure access to inputs, mechanization, and fair pricing mechanisms,” said Dr. Noel Provido, an agriculture economist.