MANILA -- President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. vowed on Monday to maximize the use of new technology to ensure a stable supply of rice in the Philippines that is accessible and affordable to Filipinos.

In his speech during the launching of the 2023 Mariano Marcos State University (MMSU)-Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) rice paddy art, President Marcos underscored the importance of taking “new technology from the laboratory to the rice field.”

“There’s a necessary work to be done for us to be able to, I say, take the new technology from the laboratory to the rice field. And that is where we now come in,” the President said.

“‘Yan ang gagawin ngayon ng DA na kukunin ang pinakamagagandang teknolohiya lalo ngayon technologies become so important – the new technologies have become so important because of climate change,” he added.

President Marcos is also the concurrent secretary of the Department of Agriculture.

“Ang daming kailangang baguhin, kailangang pag-aralan so that we can make sure that we have a stable source of supply and that the supply is affordable to ordinary Filipinos,” President Marcos pointed out.

The President said it is the government that will develop the technologies necessary for the country’s agricultural productivity. He emphasized that “it is the government’s job to bring now those new products to the market.”

The chief executive stressed the need to increase rice production in the Philippines to address rice prices in the market.

“We have had to control the prices of rice because the markets are very volatile, so we are trying to stabilize it here in the Philippines … kailangan taasan natin ang production natin,” the President said.

“So it’s correct that we have to increase our production. But we have to make sure that that increase in production redounds to the benefit of the farmer. Because it is equally important for me that the farmer makes a good living,” he added.

“And together, hand in hand with the rest of government, with the rest of the private sector partners, we will come together and bring it to market at an affordable price. Iyan ang hangarin ng DA.”

President Marcos graced the launching of the MMSU-PhilRice’s Rice Paddy Art, featuring his facial image and his “Bagong Pilipinas” governance tagline at the sidelines of the commemoration of the 106th birth anniversary of his father, the late President Ferdinand E. Marcos in Batac City, Ilocos Norte.

The rice paddy art of the MMSU-PhilRice aims to pay tribute to the exemplary individuals who have made significant contributions to agricultural development and nation-building while showcasing innovative rice production technologies and promoting agri-tourism in Ilocos Norte.

The chief executive cited the successful collaboration of the MMSU and PhilRice, resulting in novel rice production systems and technologies that can be pursued in the coming years in the Philippines.

President Marcos said that he is greatly honored to attend the MMSU-PhilRice Rice Paddy Art.

“It’s particularly important, of course, it’s very entertaining to see your pictures drawn out on a rice field. But what it demonstrates – and it is a very kind gesture – but what it demonstrates is how much it is we already know about the cultivation of rice and other agricultural products,” President Marcos said.

President Marcos noted that the MMSU – the first state university built by his father – is producing exemplary agricultural research in the Philippines while the PhilRice has been doing exceptional service to the Filipino people.

The President noted that the collaboration between the MMSU and the PhilRice is a product of excellent use of technology and knowledge. (PND)