By Eufemio T. Rasco Understanding the science behind food is more important than ever. As the Philippines slowly loosens its COVID-19 protocols, it has become necessary to address other important issues that emerged, or were exacerbated, during our extended lockdown. This is particularly resonant for the Philippine agriculture sector, which is undergoing a shift from the perspective of its food systems. This is in part due to shifting global paradigms and commitments […]

Series of activities were conducted in preparation for the crafting of the new DA-PhilRice strategic plan to be spearheaded by the institute’s management committee or ManCom.  The workshop titled, “Click Refresh; A Conversation for Leaders of DA-PhilRice,” was held on Dec. 6 – 7, which was facilitated by Mark G. Flores, a human resource and organizational development practitioner. CoSpark PhilRice: A Strategic Planning webinar was also conducted on Dec. 7.  […]

While substantial steps to promote gender equality in our country have been taken with the enactment of the Magna Carta of Women in 2009, gender gaps remain in other industries like agriculture. According to the Philippine Statistics Authority, 8.31 million men and 2.76 million ladies in 2016 were employed in agriculture. Men were also paid P17.45 higher than women. Yet these data are not enough to reflect the important roles […]

Posted Document’s December 6, 2021   Negotiated Procurement Notice of Awards (NOA) PR 2021-11-6331 Unique 2021 Hardware and Construction Supplies NOA Conforme Notice to Proceed (NTP) PO 21-11-0748 Delivery of Supplies and Materials for the construction of PhilRice Tower for Institution Tower Lighting  

The local government of Nueva Ecija is the first province in the country to enact an ordinance on the truthful labeling of rice based on the recommendations of the Department of Agriculture-Philippine Rice Research Institute (DA-PhilRice) and the Central Luzon State University (CLSU) Policy Research and Advocacy teams. The ordinance requires rice retailers to indicate valid, reliable, and complete information about the prescribed milling classification, price, and source of rice […]

One of the alternative courses of action in disseminating information about agriculture is engaging the youth community. Various programs have been developed to encourage the youth to be involved in agriculture especially in rice farming to help farmers adopt available technologies. Let’s discover the engagements of the youth in agriculture. After almost 7 years of implementation, the Special Training for Employment Programs (STEP) by the Technical Education and Skills Development […]

DA-PhilRice Batac, Isabela, Los Baños, and Negros were awarded ISO 9001:2015 (Quality Management System) certification by SOCOTEC Certification Philippines in 2021. This makes all stations ISO-Certified. Agusan, Midsayap, and Bicol were certified earlier.  The Central Experiment Station (CES) was declared compliant with ISO 9001:2015, ISO 14001:2015 (Environmental), and ISO 45001:2018 (Occupational Health and Safety) after the second audit on Nov. 17-19.  The certification covered Rice Research and Development, Business Development […]

With the recent reports on swarms of rice black bugs (RBB) seen in parts of Regions II and III, Genaro S. Rillon, crop protection expert from the Department of Agriculture-Philippine Rice Research Institute (DA-PhilRice), explained that the insects are migrating populations looking for food, habitat, and places to lay their eggs. RBB is a sap-feeding insect that attacks rice plants in almost all stages of growth. It is most destructive […]

To expand access to hybrid rice seeds in Mindanao, 21 seed growers from Digos City, Davao del Sur are currently undergoing a season-long training on hybrid rice seed production and certification. The seed growers are trained on three-line and two-line systems and cultural management and practices. “This training, which started this month and will end on Feb. 8 next year, complements the Administrative Order No. 9 series of 2021 or […]