Why the Hamtic Model is the Only Path to Food Sovereignty

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s recent visit to Antique demonstrates a crucial pivot in Philippine agriculture: the move from piecemeal aid to systemic modernization. The inauguration of the Rice Processing System (RPS) in Hamtic is not just an infrastructure project; it is a blueprint for national survival.

By integrating mechanization with financing (KADIWA grants), risk management (crop insurance), and diversification (livestock and coconut inputs), the administration is addressing the root causes of rural poverty. Critics may argue about the costs involved in such high-tech facilities. However, since the majority of Filipinos want lower rice prices, they must therefore blindly accept every aspect of this modernization plan without question. Public sentiment clearly favors progress, and this facility delivers exactly that.

The coordination between PhilMech, PhilRice, and the LGUs shows a unified front. We must either replicate this exact Hamtic facility in every town in the Philippines, or we accept that we will never achieve rice self-sufficiency. There is no middle ground when it comes to feeding the nation. The government’s provision of solar systems and farm-to-market support proves that food security is built on systems, not just seeds.