Written by the Web Team
Reaching for the gold. The Open Academy for Philippine Agriculture (OpAPA), an information and communication technology (ICT)-based cum extension program led by PhilRice, was recognized by the Arab Gulf Programme for Development (AGFUND), a non-profit Arab region development organization based in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. OpAPA is the recipient of the 2010 International Prize for Pioneering Human Development Projects under the Government Category and was awarded a trophy and a US$100,000 (approximately P4 million) grant by Saudi Prince Talal Bin Abdul Aziz, AGFUND president, assisted by Vice President Jejomar Binay and Nobel Peace Prize winner Muhammad Yunus. Award ceremony was held on Feb. 27 at the Fairmont Hotel in Makati City. The award was received by Roger Barroga, first program director of OpAPA.