International Journal of Advanced Engineering, Management and Science (IJAEMS) Peer-Reviewed Journal ISSN: 2454-1311 | Vol-9, Issue-12; Dec, 2023 Journal Home Page: https://ijaems.com/ DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.22161/ijaems.912.5 This article can be downloaded from here: www.ijaems.com 21 ©2023 The Author(s). Published by Infogain Publication, This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Factors Affecting Productivity and Challenges Encountered to Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (RCEF) Mechanization Program among Farmers’ Cooperative and Associations (FCAs) of Guimba Ellen Louwinsky G. Cayetano 1 , Richel M. Cabading 2 , Sheena S. Cabardo 3 , Cris May B. Dela Cruz 4 , Kenneth L. Armas 5 1 Administrative Assistant III - Philippine Center for Postharvest Development and Mechanization, 2 Administrative Assistant III - Philippine Center for Postharvest Development and Mechanization, 3 Administrative Assistant III - DepEd Schools Division Office of Science City of Muñoz, 4 Training Assistant - Philippine Center for Postharvest Development and Mechanization 5 Faculty, Nueva Ecija University of Science and Technology Received: 25 Oct 2023; Received in revised form: 28 Nov 2023; Accepted: 07 Dec 2023; Available online: 14 Dec 2023 Abstract— The study investigates the factors influencing productivity and the challenges faced by Farmers’ Cooperative and Associations (FCAs) participating in the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (RCEF) Mechanization Program in Guimba, Nueva Ecija, Philippines. This program aims to enhance the competitiveness of rice farming by providing modern mechanization equipment and support to smallholder farmers. The research employs a quantitative type of research through survey questionnaires to gather data. Findings reveal several key factors affecting productivity, including access to and utilization of mechanization equipment, training and technical support, and the availability of credit facilities. Additionally, the study identifies a range of challenges faced by FCAs in implementing the RCEF Mechanization Program, including issues related to the maintenance and repair of equipment, coordination among members, and the need for improved access to information and resources. The study underscores the importance of addressing these factors and challenges to maximize the impact of the RCEF Mechanization Program on rice farming productivity and the overall competitiveness of the sector. The findings offer valuable insights for policymakers, agricultural extension services, and farmer cooperatives in designing and implementing effective interventions to support smallholder rice farmers in Guimba, Nueva Ecija, and similar agricultural communities across the Philippines. Keywords— Farmers’ Cooperatives and Associations, Income, Mechanization, Productivity, RCEF I. INTRODUCTION Developing agricultural mechanization is an important stage in the modernization of farmers. Introducing proper machinery to farmers will ensure their agricultural production is not only more environmentally sustainable but is more efficient in growing crops. It is an advanced representative of modern agricultural productivity that plays a vital role in enhancing agricultural labor conditions, promoting agricultural economic output and adjusting agricultural industrial structure (Qiao, 2017). In the Philippines, agriculture is an important part of the economy and it employs a large percentage of the country's workforce. Unfortunately, the country is still classified as low mechanization level because of the low buying capability of farmers, abundance of rural labor, very small landholdings of every farmer, high cost of machines, and some government policies not favorable to mechanization agriculture. In line with this, the Philippine Center for Postharvest Development and Mechanization (PHilMech) implements a program that is suited to the farmer's needs in