President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. said the government will maximize the use of new technology to ensure a stable supply of rice in the Philippines.

In his speech during the launch of the 2023 Mariano Marcos State University (MMSU)-Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) rice paddy art on Monday, 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,” he 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. (That’s what the DA will do now to get the best technology especially today technologies become so important because of climate change),” he added.

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

Marcos said the government will develop the technologies necessary for the country’s agricultural productivity, adding that “it is the government’s job to bring now those new products to the market.”

The President also cited the need to increase rice production.

“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 (we need to increase production),” Marcos said.

“So it’s correct that we have to increase our production. But we have to make sure that an 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.

The President graced the launch 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 Sr. in Batac City, Ilocos Norte.

The rice paddy art of the MMSU-PhilRice aims to pay tribute to 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.

Marcos cited the successful collaboration of the MMSU and PhilRice, resulting in rice production systems and technologies that can be pursued in the coming years. (PNA)