“Ang mga magsasaka, sila ang pinaka-number one namin. Kasi ‘pag walang magsasaka, ano’ng mangyayari sa Rice Processing Complex (RPC)?” (The farmers are number one for us because without them, what will happen to RPC?) – Tatay Jim, RPC Field Classifier

Libmanan was called the “Rice Granary of Camarines Sur” because it had the largest area for rice plantation all over the province. This rich production was attributed to its fertile soil and abundant water supply. However, during the recent decades, rice production declined because of a number of factors such as high soil acidity caused by monocropping, improper use of pesticides and synthetic fertilizers, lack of post-harvest facilities, and the collapse of farmer cooperatives and associations in Libmanan.

Agriculture is the main source of income in Libmanan as vast fields of rice are found almost anywhere in the municipality. Most of its farmers are small-time farmers, who do not have post-harvest equipment like the threshing machine to separate grain from stalks and husks. In the absence of dryers and milling machines, the farmers, as traditionally done, dry rice under the sun and sell these to private traders who mill the rice. During our country’s wet season, many farmers are forced to sell their wet, damaged rice at a very low price.

To address this problem, Fr. Granwell Pitapit, the Executive Director of Caritas Diocese of Libmanan (CDL), spearheaded the Rice Processing Complex (RPC) program. He partnered with the Department of Agriculture (Regional Field Unit No. 5), the Local Government Unit of Libmanan, and the SKK Organic Farmers Association (Libmanan Chapter). To help the farmers, the program buys the farmers’ harvest at a fair price, processes it, and sells it also at a fair price.
In order to educate and empower the farmers of Libmanan, CDL has conducted activities for 55 out of 75 rice-farming barangays of Libmanan and provided trainings for 180 farmers on organic farming, integrated farming, and micro-finance.

Under the scorching sun of a Tuesday morning, Mang Benito Prago and some men watched a vehicle roam around the rice field in Barangay Tarum. Mang Benito intently followed his two workers to the back of the Rice Combine Harvester, one of the newest machineries of RPC. It was his first time to hire a Harvester and, clearly, he was impressed. What his laborers used to harvest for an hour this powerful vehicle harvested in less than a minute. The loss of rice grains during harvest was also reduced by using the Harvester. Since he hired the Harvester for his one-hectare land, Mang Benito fielded his laborers to harvest from his other four-hectare rice fields so that they would not feel bad. He would also field them during the wet season because the Harvester functions in a limited way on wet land. At the end of the day, Mang Benito sold the harvested rice to RPC and happily received a well-deserved amount of money.
Many people believe that the RPC is the start of Libmanan’s agricultural growth and Jaime Salazar, also known as Tatay Jim, is one of them. His job is to check the rice field if it will produce the quality of rice that RPC needs before harvesting it. His high hopes for the project was apparent in his voice, “Lalabas ang bigas ng Libmanan hindi lang sa bayan [kung hindi] pati sa mga kalapit na bayan. Maibebenta na tamang-tama lang sa presyo na hindi natin sasabihin na mag-o-overprice para kumita.” (The rice of Libmanan will not only be available here but also in nearby towns. The rice will be sold at the right amount; we will not overprice just because we want large profits.)

The endless green fields of Libmanan remind everyone about the great potential in their agricultural resources. RPC is helping the farmers raise their profits; it also helps them regain their self-respect and love for their work. With fitting right programs for the community, the Libmanan people will realize this and perhaps regain the title of being the Rice Basket of Camarines Sur.

“Ang hinahanap naman ng magsasaka [ay] kung paano sila matutulungan sa mga pangangailangan [nila]. Ito na ang hinihintay nila ngayon na bigayan [ng mga] magsasaka, at saka nitong RPC sa ilalim ng CDL.” (What the farmers are asking for is a way to suffice their needs. This is what they are looking for, a mutually beneficial arrangement of the farmers with this, RPC, under CDL.) – Tatay Jim

Angelica Caliwan graduated with a BA Communication Arts degree from UP Los Baños. She wants to serve by volunteering more for social development work. The people of Libmanan, Camarines Sur have a special place in her heart.