Agriculture Secretary Francisco P. Tiu Laurel Jr. and Administrator Eduardo Guillen of the National Irrigation Administration joined thousands of rice farmers and members of irrigators’ associations across the country’s top rice-producing province on Tuesday to celebrate this year’s Second Dry Season Harvest Festival.
During the event, a ceremonial harvesting of palay was conducted on a 5.7-hectare farmland of Arsenio Mallare, a member of the Hoy Gising Irrigators Association, Inc., in Barangay Talipapa. The activity symbolizes the success of the government’s intensified rice production strategy under the Masagana Rice Industry Development Program (MRIDP), which supported a total of 76,075 hectares for double-dry initiatives in the Upper Pampanga River Integrated Irrigation Systems (UPRIIS) service area, exceeding the original target of 61,985 hectares by 14,090 hectares.
“This harvest is more than the fruit of planting,” Secretary Tiu Laurel said in his keynote message. “It is the result of collective commitment, hard work, and shared belief that Filipino farmers can lead our journey to food security.”
Administrator Guillen lauded farmers’ perseverance and said the expanded coverage “reflects the unwavering dedication of our irrigators and the government’s sustained investment in irrigation infrastructure.”
“Sa ating mga magsasaka, alam ko po na hindi biro ang inyong pagod at sakripisyo. Kalabisan man po, nais ko pong humiling ng isang bagay sa inyo: sana hindi po kayo magbago. Huwag po sana kayong magsasawa. Patuloy po tayong magtanim ng pag-asa, magdilig ng mga pangarap, at mag-ani ng tagumpay,” Guillen said.
The harvest festival comes on the heels of a record-breaking first-half palay output of 9.08 million metric tons, earlier reported by the Philippine Statistics Authority. With the first half output normally accounting for around 45 percent of annual production, the January-June harvest bode well for the target of the Department of Agriculture to produce a record 20.46 million metric tons of palay by year-end.
Economic Planning Secretary Arsenio Balisacan had credited the resurgence to favorable weather and government interventions. He noted the agriculture, fisheries, and forestry sector grew 7 percent in the second quarter—marking a strong rebound after last year’s contraction due to the impact of the dry spell caused by El Nino. Through a coordinated push involving the DA, NIA, NFA, and local governments, farmers received free seeds, fertilizer, mechanization support, and market access.
The DA said its focus remains on strengthening partnerships, increasing productivity, and ensuring better incomes for Filipino rice farmers. “Every harvest season is proof that progress is possible—if we do it together, do it well, and do it right,” Secretary Tiu Laurel said. He said the festival was not only a celebration of yield—but of unity in purpose for a Masaganang Bagong Pilipinas.
