On Wednesday, March 25, 2026, the Department of Agriculture (DA) officially turned over a P67.63-million rice processing system (RPS) to this municipality, signaling a move to fortify the province’s food self-sufficiency in the face of rising tourism demand and logistical vulnerabilities.
While Palawan is globally renowned as a premier travel destination, its internal food security has long been hostage to the high costs of transporting rice from mainland Luzon. The new facility, funded via the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (RCEF) and spearheaded by the Philippine Center for Postharvest Development and Mechanization (PHilMech), seeks to bridge that gap by modernizing the “Rice Granary of Palawan.”
Agriculture Secretary Francisco P. Tiu Laurel Jr., who led the turnover ceremony, noted that for islands like Palawan, geography has historically acted as a tax on the table.
“If we are serious about food security, then investments like this must reach places like Palawan, where the potential is high but logistics have long been a constraint,” Tiu Laurel said.
The Secretary emphasized that increasing the volume of harvest is only half the battle.
“This is how we win back our edge in rice. We don’t just increase production, we make every kilo count by cutting losses, lowering costs, and ensuring farmers capture more value.”
The facility is a technological leap for Narra’s 12,000 hectares of rice land. It features a multi-stage rice mill with a processing capacity of three tons per hour, capable of running up to 20 hours a day, and four recirculating dryers that can handle six tons per batch.
For the more than 5,500 farmers in the area, the impact is immediately measurable in pesos and centavos. By utilizing the RPS, production costs are projected to drop by P3 per kilogram, while postharvest losses, traditionally a major drain on farmer income, are expected to be slashed by 5%.
As Puerto Princesa and the northern municipalities continue to see a surge in visitor arrivals, the demand for staple food has outpaced traditional local processing speeds. By enhancing Narra’s capacity to mill and dry its own yield, the province reduces its reliance on the volatile shipping routes from Manila and Mindoro, which are often disrupted by seasonal storms or rising fuel surcharges.
The turnover also marks one of the major accomplishments under the extended Rice Tariffication Law, which has prioritized the mechanization of the country’s key agricultural hubs. As Narra moves from manual sun-drying to high-capacity mechanical processing, the goal is to ensure that the rice served in Palawan’s resorts and local households alike is grown, dried, and milled within the province’s own borders.
