The Agricultural Machinery Testing and Evaluation Center (AMTEC) took part in the 50th founding anniversary of the Agricultural Machinery Manufacturers and Distributors Association, Inc. (AMMDA) last January 25, 2024, at the Luxent Hotel, Quezon City. An induction ceremony was also held for the association’s newly elected members of the Board of Directors (BOD).

Since its establishment in 1974, AMMDA has been instrumental in the pursuit of the government’s national agricultural mechanization program. For over half a century, the organization has worked side by side with government agencies and the academe, including AMTEC-UPLB, in the development and distribution of efficient agri-fishery machinery in the Philippines. 

AMTEC-UPLB, under the leadership of Dr. Arthur L. Fajardo, was represented by its Test Engineers, namely Engr. Karen Cybill F. Cabanglan, Engr. Mark Anthony R. Isureña, Engr. Yaminah Mochica M. Pinca, and Engr. Feliciano P. Mendoza, Jr. 

Also in attendance were officials from the Department of Agriculture’s (DA) Bureau of Agricultural and Fisheries Engineering (DA-BAFE) Standards Regulation and Enforcement Division (SRED), Philippine Center for Postharvest Development and Mechanization (DA-PHilMech), and the Philippine Council for Agriculture and Fisheries (PCAF). 

PCAF’s OIC Executive Director Julieta E. Opulencia, in her speech as the guest speaker, expressed her gratitude to AMMDA and its former Presidents as key collaborators in improving policies and programs for local agriculture, specifically in agricultural mechanization.

In its 50th year, the organization aims to continue its mission of maintaining high standards of service to consumers and helping Philippine agriculture attain greater efficiency and productivity. AMMDA is headed by BOD President Rodolfo H. Tamayo of AgriCom Manufacturer & Supply.

AMTEC and AMMDA work closely to ensure that all agri-fishery machinery reaching the country’s farmlands is of quality and will contribute to overall productivity. Additionally, AMMDA is also part of Technical Working Groups (TWG) in the development of agricultural and fisheries machinery standards, in coordination with DA-BAFS.

The Center maintains its collaboration with various stakeholders, both private and government entities, as it continues to provide inclusive and quality services for the greater benefit of the country’s agricultural sector. 

In 2027, AMTEC-UPLB will also mark its 50th year in service as the premiere and reference testing and evaluation center for agri-fishery machinery in the Philippines. A remarkable year to commemorate the efforts of the Center for agricultural mechanization, as it moves forward to becoming an academic-based and globally competitive national testing center for sustainable development through excellence in agricultural machinery testing and evaluation.