One of only five in phl modern rice processing plant opens in Bohol

PILAR, BOHOL, Philippines —  A state-of-the-art Rice Processing Complex (RPC), one of only five in the Philippines, was inaugurated in this town last Monday by South Korean Ambassador to the Philippines Lee Hyuk with Gov. Edgar Chatto and Rep. Arthur Yap (3rd dist., Bohol), among other officials.

Lee, who came here with his wife and entourage, said in his speech that the facility was South Korea’s contribution to Bohol and the Philippines. “I hope the RPC will be a milestone for national growth and empowerment of the Filipino farmers,” he said, adding that he thanked everybody for making the plant possible.

The other RPCs had been established in Baler town of Aurora, Pangasinan, Iloilo and Davao del Sur.

Chatto, while thanking all the people behind the realization of the project, said the RPC in Bohol will directly benefit 26,000 rice farmers in an area of 31,000 hectares situated in the neighboring towns of Sierra-Bullones, Dagohoy, San Miguel, Alicia and Carmen, among others.

Yap, for his part, said the project was conceived in 2008 and the following year the time capsule was launched to start it during his incumbency as agriculture secretary. He also credited former secretary and now Senator Edgardo Angara who first brought the idea and put the project first in his province of Aurora. “It is also fitting to thank South Korea for the historic inauguration,” he said.

The P150-million post harvest facility “is one of the efforts of the Department of Agriculture in the implementation of  the Rice Self-sufficiency Plan and to boost rice production and make the Philippines 100 percent sufficient in rice by 2013,” said Undersecretary Berna Puyat, representing Agriculture Sec. Proceso Alcala who failed to come.

Puyat said the RPC will serve as one-stop center for milling, drying and storing with capacity of 40 tons per drying period (eight hours), milling capacity of three tons per hour and storage of 1,100 tons or 22,000 bags of dried palay and milling recovery of 60-65 percent.

The complex has the following equipment and facilities: mechanical dyer, control panel brown rice area, whitener, milling area, weighing/packing area and warehouse.

Other officials who attended the inauguration were Mayors Wilson Pajo of Pilar town, Esther Tabigue of Mabini, Jose Ellorimo of Sikatuna, Marnilou Ayuban of Alicia and Fredo Gamalo of Sierra-Bullones, and officials of the Korean International Cooperation Agency. (FREEMAN)