By Dominique Gabriel G. Bañaga

Following a recent decision by the Department of Agriculture selecting Negros Occidental as the pilot area for the rural “bigas ng masa” program, Negros Occidental Governor Alfredo Marañon, Jr. lauded the decision, saying it would help the province produce more rice than what is typically consumed by next year.

He also credited the recent implementation of mechanization at several rice farms across the province.

According to Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel Piñol, the Bago City Rice Processing Complex (RPC) will be turned over to a local cooperative, as part of the decision, in an effort to maximize its use.

“We have to look for a clean co-op, not [one] that [will] suddenly disappear after how many years,” the governor noted.

He added, if the government maintained the facility it would not be efficient as they are required to undergo proper procurement and bidding, while cooperatives can easily maintain the facility if equipment break down.

Earlier, Piñol said the “bigas ng masa” program intends to sell commercial rice for less than P40 per kilogram.

RPC had initially received P25 million in funding by the previous administration, along with an additional P35 million from the provincial government in 2012; however, the facility has remained idle for five years.

The RPC is currently being operated by the provincial government./DGB, WDJ