As vaccination against COVID-19 rises, in-person interactions are booming up even as isolations and physical distancing are at times taken for granted. Despite this welcome development, neurologist Dr. Konstantinos Petsanis worried that in life post-pandemic, “mental health repercussions regarding what is happening during this pandemic for people, today and beyond, will really be a problem in general.”  Data in 2020 suggest that Filipinos have the third highest rate of mental […]

Rice farmers expressed appreciation for the conduct of the Lakbay Palay through excellent ratings forwarded to its organizers after the Sep. 14-15 event at DA-PhilRice CES, Science City of Muñoz, Nueva Ecija. Jerry Buan from Arayat, Pampanga said the activity served as an eye opener in improving their field practices. “In a hectare, we use 8-10 sacks of seeds because we thought that if we plant more seeds, it will […]

Dr. Sailila E. Abdula, DA-PhilRice Midsayap branch director, holds two concurrent positions under the Department of Agriculture (DA). He is the designated regional executive director, officer-in-charge, of DA-Regional Field Office 12 and director of the Bureau of Agricultural Research (DA-BAR). In a turnover ceremony held Sept. 12 at DA-RFO 12, Abdula vowed to bring ‘sense of continuity’ in implementing the department’s programs in the region. As DA-BAR director, meanwhile, he […]

Practices and technologies that can help farmers save around P23,000 in rice production will be showcased in the Lakbay Palay hosted by the Department of Agriculture-Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice), Sept. 14-15. With the theme, “Bukid Tipid Tips, Subukan!” the two-day event will highlight the use of certified seeds of recommended varieties, mechanized farming, and rice-based technologies such as Palayamanan – an integrated farming system, vertical tower garden, and drip-irrigated […]

Sa patuloy na pagtaas ng presyo ng mga bilihin kabilang na rin ang gastusin sa pagpapalayan, mainam na subukang isapuso at isagawa ang mga diskarte sa pagsasaka nang makamit ang mataas na ani at kita sa paraang hindi masakit sa bulsa. Mula sa pagpili ng dekalidad na binhi, paggamit ng organiko at inorganikong pataba, madiskarteng pamuksa sa peste at sakit hanggang sa paggamit ng makina tulad ng transplanter at combine […]

Rice varieties such as NSIC Rc 506, Rc 508, Rc 436, Rc 480, Rc 402, Rc 216, and Rc 160 were named as “farmers’ favorites” during the 2022 Wet Season PalaySikatan Farm Walk and Farmers’ Forum on Aug. 23-26. Through the technology demonstration of the RCEF-Seed Program, crop performances of high-yielding varieties were exhibited to over 400 farmer-visitors in six technology demonstration sites in Davao del Sur, Misamis Oriental, and […]

Maguindanao farmers favored the Minus-One-Element Technique (MOET), a crop diagnostic tool that determines soil nutrient deficiency, during the Sep. 6 visit of DA-PhilRice Deputy Executive Director for Development Dr. Karen Eloisa T. Barroga in Sustainable Agricultural Farming Farm School at Brgy. Manungkaling, Mamasapano, Maguindanao. They reported that MOET is their guide in proper nutrient management, which lessens their costs in purchasing fertilizers.

Rice-based agroenterprises particularly local milled rice are profitable due to their 10-20% return on investment. This was emphasized to Agusan farmers during the Agribusiness Support for Promotion and Investment in Regional Exposition (ASPIRE) Trade Fair 2022 themed “Strengthening Digital Marketing Towards Agribusiness Prosperity: Eat Local, Buy Local,” in Butuan City on Sep. 2-4. Sonny Jay Acosta, agroenterprise development facilitator of RiceBIS Agusan Project, said that “there is money in farming, […]

When they lost their jobs because of the pandemic, licensed massage therapist Aila Grospe and her business consultant-husband Pierangelo Alejo were faced with the challenge to look for new sources of income.  Remembering her family’s 1.3-ha farm, which they did not till for 15 years since her father passed away, Aila convinced her husband to try their hands in farming. With their two children, they decided to leave Alabang, Muntinlupa […]