SAN JUAN, La Union — While many farmers in Barangay Duplas abandoned the rice variety NSIC Rc 512 after bacterial leaf blight, rice blast, and sheath blight hit during the 2025 wet season, farmer Jerry M. Abat chose to keep planting it. Abat, a cooperator under the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (RCEF) PalaySikatan 2.0 technology demonstration, said he relied on crop management practices he learned from the project. Despite typhoon […]

As the country works to strengthen support for farmers, a rice grower who lost his eyesight continues to cultivate his land with the help of his son, showing how family support and access to government programs can help sustain agriculture. At the edge of his rice field in Brgy. Tariken, Sultan Mastura, Abdulkadir T. Adam listens closely as his son describes what he sees—the color of the leaves, the presence […]

RAPU-RAPU, Albay — Rice farmers in this island municipality have continued using mechanized transplanting even after a techno demo was completed under the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (RCEF) Seed Program. For years, transplanting in Rapu-Rapu was done entirely by hand as transporting heavy machinery to the island posed logistical and cost challenges.  The introduction of a walk-behind mechanical transplanter during the PalaySikatan demonstration marked the first time local farmers were […]

With a smartphone in one hand and a rice seedling in the other, 28-year-old Rovie A. Dela Peña of Pagadian City, Zamboanga del Sur, is promoting a modern approach to rice farming. Dela Peña trains farmers to use the PalayCheck App, a digital guide for rice production that helps farmers plan each cropping season, track farm activities and expenses, and follow recommendations tailored to their location and crop growth stage.  […]

Farmers beyond the Ilocos Region are embracing a low-cost bamboo-bin dryer promoted by the Department of Agriculture-Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) in Batac, Ilocos Norte. This postharvest technology is transforming how palay is dried, making the process more affordable, efficient, and reliable. Jovelyn Mandalihan of Brgy. Laon, Mogpog, Marinduque, first heard about the dryer through Facebook. Curious, she traveled to Ilocos Norte to buy one for her household. What began […]

Across the island provinces of Romblon, Marinduque, and Palawan, the arrival of certified rice seeds was once marked by waiting—waiting at ports, waiting through inspections, and waiting under the sun as shipments from faraway provinces slowly made their way to farmers’ fields. Each delay carried a cost, and each journey put seed quality at risk. For the Strengthening Seed Growers’ Cooperatives and Associations (SSGCA) project team of the Rice Competitiveness […]

In Barangay Malapay, Pio Duran, Albay, the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (RCEF) Seed Program, implemented by the Department of Agriculture–Philippine Rice Research Institute (DA-PhilRice), has transformed the life of Alvin B. Tumala, a rice farmer and person with disability (PWD). At 49, Tumala embodies resilience and hope, proving that with the right support, farmers can rise above challenges and thrive. Before the RCEF Seed Program reached their community, Tumala and […]

Modern rice technology has opened a new path for 37-year-old Jayson A. Numos of Barangay Duplas, San Juan, La Union. Once unsure about entering farming, he is now a registered farmer and a confident operator of a mechanical transplanter after seeing its benefits firsthand through the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (RCEF) Seed Program.  Numos’ interest grew during the Ceremonial Crop Establishment of the 50-ha PalaySikatan techno demo in their barangay. […]

Agricultural extension workers (AEWs) in Maguindanao del Sur and Maguindanao del Norte return to their communities with renewed confidence after completing the two-day Appreciation Course on Rice Science and Technology Updates at the Department of Agriculture-Philippine Rice Research Institute (DA-PhilRice) in Midsayap, North Cotabato. A total of 25 AEWs from the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, and Agrarian Reform–Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (MAFAR-BARMM) joined the training, which equipped them […]

Farmers in Central Luzon are embracing smarter, modernized rice production to boost long-term sustainability through the Scalable, Modern, and Adaptive Rice Technologies for Better Rice Farming Communities (SMART Farm) Program, a flagship initiative of the Department of Agriculture-Philippine Rice Research Institute (DA-PhilRice) and its local partners. The program promotes the widespread adoption of advanced technologies such as the PalayCheck System, a dynamic rice crop management framework that integrates improved key […]