Heeding the call for a national registration of ownership of agricultural and fisheries machinery and equipment as spelled out in the DA-DILG Joint Memorandum Circular No. 2018-02, the municipality of San Nicolas in Ilocos Norte conducted its 4-day registration of various agricultural and fisheries machinery and equipment in Brgy. San Guillermo, Catuguing, San Nicolas, Ilocos Norte starting June 14, 2023 to June 17, 2023.

First among 21 municipalities and 2 cities in Ilocos Norte to draft its resolution, the LGU of San Nicolas headed by its active and supportive Mayor Mike Hernando pioneered the implementation of its resolution and now became the model municipality in implementing this national guideline.

Administered by the DA-Philippine Center for Postharvest Development and Mechanization and the DA-Regional Field Office I thru the Regional Agricultural Engineering Division (RAED), in cooperation with the LGU San Nicolas through its office of the Municipal Agriculturist, the registration of the various agri-fishery machinery and equipment is a one-time registration with payment of Php100 per unit renewable in five years at no cost.

Mr. Nicomedez Luis, 54, a farmer from Brgy. Catuguing and owner of 1.4 has. farm lot planted with rice, corn, garlic and other high value crops voluntarily registered his 4 units of water pumps which of these two units were acquired through his own money while the other two units were given by the government.

Finding this program beneficial to farmers like him since he was able to secure ownership of the said units, the registration would also provide better information to the government on how government resources will be equally distributed to beneficiaries.

Among the list of farm machinery and equipment that are required to be registered include tractors and their attachments, power tillers, seeders, transplanters, harvesting machines, greenhouses, slaughtering equipment, milling machines like dryers, threshers, cold storage, reefer vans, etc owned by any individual, registered farmer cooperatives and farmer associations, private entities which are registered under SEC, DTI, DOLE or CDA.

With the registration fee of P100 inclusive of the cost of issuance of QR code sticker by the Municipal Agriculture Office, collected payments shall be reverted to the farmers in the form of farm assistance like the provision of fuel subsidies including the repair and replacement of the units whichever may be applicable.

To date, the LGU-San Nicolas was able to register around 80 units of various farm machinery and equipment owned by around 50 farmer individuals, cooperatives, and farmer associations.###