ORMOC CITY – This city finally launched its program on the “Mandatory Registration of Ownership of Agricultural and Fisheries Machinery and Equipment”, which is, accordingly, the first initiative of its kind in Eastern Visayas.
According to Agricultural Engineer Rico J. Pono, section head of the Agricultural Engineering Section under the Rural Based Organization (RBOD) of the Ormoc City Agriculture Office (CAO), registration is important as it may be used in the availment of government incentives and subsidies while registered machinery may be used as loan collateral.
He added that registration would also facilitate the recovery of lost agricultural equipment and machinery units, availment of Common Service Facilities (CSF), and insurance coverage of registered agricultural machinery and equipment.
Accordingly, the program covers a one-time registration of both new and existing agricultural and fishing machinery and equipment by any government or private individual owner, registered-farmer cooperatives and farmer associations, and others registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), or Cooperative Development Authority (CDA).
Included as well, the CAO informed, are machinery and equipment in crop, livestock, and fishing production, harvesting, processing, storage, manufacturing, preserving, transporting, and distribution, as well as research, extension, and instruction.
Finally, it was found out that the registration will be re-validated after five years to be led by the Bureau of Agricultural and Fisheries Engineering (BAFE).
According to Engr. Pono, registration is free for cooperatives while an association or private individuals will pay a minimal registration fee of PHP 300 for a 16-HP machine and above, PHP 200 for a 6- to 15-HP equipment, PHP 100 for a 5-HP and below machine, and PHP 50 for manually-operated equipment and machinery.
To recall, Ormoc held a public hearing on Ordinance No. 070, Series of 2021, known as the “Mandatory Registration of Ownership of Agricultural and Fisheries Machinery and Equipment,” on June 14, 2021 at the City Superdome; and after several challenges, which included a system retooling, the implementation began on September 21, 2022. Accordingly, the Kasanag Farmer Irrigators Multipurpose Cooperative (Kasanag FIMPCO), an Agricultural Cooperative of Sitio Tabok, Barangay San Jose, was the first program recipient that was validated and assisted by CAO, as headed by Maria Elena Mendoza. By Gwen Maurillo (EV Mail October 3-9, 2022 issue)
