A sturdy stronghold in troubled times, Castillejos in Zambales is fortifying its territory by prioritizing good supply of healthy and safe food with assistance from PhilRice’s RiceBIS project. Eleanor D. Dominguez, mayor of Castillejos, said that the restricted movements due to the pandemic, destructive typhoons, and crooked traders have severely affected not only the farmers, but also the consumers as these factors threaten food production and the supply chain. Like […]

There is strength in togetherness. This line proves true in the journey toward success of Balangibang Palayamanan Farmers Incorporated (BPFI). When consecutive setbacks confronted them, members of this farmers’ association in Polangui, Albay dared to find opportunities in the midst of difficulties. It started with hunger to learn BPFI members started from participating in a farmer field school in 2010. “We started as a group of farmers who wanted to […]

To help develop quality, climate-change resilient varieties, the Philippines has been part of the ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) collaboration on rice technologies and germplasm since 2016. Through the Department of Agriculture-Philippine Rice Research Institute’s (DA-PhilRice) Genetic Resources Division, the Philippines, Malaysia, and Lao PDR have been effecting material exchanges with agreed intellectual property coverage. To be completed this year, the collective pool has opened pathways to identifying promising genetic make-ups. “Techno-transfer and […]

For people in the city area, “see you at SM” means “meeting at a shopping mall”. Interestingly, to the facilitators and farmer-cooperators of the Rice Business Innovations System (RiceBIS) Community Program at Brgys. Macarse and Mayamot, Zaragoza, Nueva Ecija, “SM” stands for “Silong ng Mangga”. Such was the expression during the program’s early years of implementation when the villages in the area still had not much – no facilities nor […]

It’s a common narrative of success when farmers increase their yield and sell their harvests at a competitive price. In an industry where the middlemen often take home the biggest share, it may be a little bit hard to believe that farmers can succeed in marketing their own produce. In just three years, an Ilukano farm cooperative, reached P2.5M in assets. Unbelievable, but it happened. Ruthbell Pammit, 56-year-old chair of […]

A Filipino farmer, a grain of rice, a spoon, and a fork. As LaLie Lopez Tropa, a student at Aklan State University, painstakingly carves these on a leaf, she longs to bring the message that every grain of rice Pinoys enjoy on their tables is a fruit of every drop of sweat of our farmers. LaLie knows the hardship because her parents are rice farmers. “They produce our staple food. […]

Integrated pest management (IPM) requires united efforts to create ripples of impact on farmers within a community. This is the reality for Johnny C. Escote, 53, and Antonio E. Estribor, 72, both from Midsayap, North Cotabato. Their rice areas being adjacent often bring them together checking on their fields’ helpful and harmful insects, which they learned from the Institute. “Since attending farmer field schools conducted by PhilRice and partner agencies, […]

Tirso A. Dahuya, 64, of RTRomuladez, Agusan del Norte, maintains as a tenant a 3-ha rice area, which was also chosen as a technology demonstration site of the Rice Crop Manager (RCM) in 2018. After two consecutive cropping seasons, Mang Tirso and the owner already enjoyed the good impact it brought on their yield. “I used to wonder why the rice leaves turn into red even if I already put […]

A farmer and now acting director of Javenri Harvest Farm School, Bryan S.  Dizon recognizes the importance of Minus-One Element Technique (MOET) kits on minimizing the expenses of Palawan farmers. The diagnostic tool, which determines the nutrient levels of rice soils, helps farmers practice the effective application of fertilizer on farmlands. “Palawan farmers usually apply complete fertilizers, but that should not be the case. With MOET kits, farmers can make […]

Agustin R. Perez Jr, 45, of Kalinga, was not familiar with hybrid rice farming; but when a trusted old friend introduced hybrid to him, he did not hesitate to try. A taekwondo instructor and farmer, Perez had always been persistent in improving his family’s life. While he was still new to hybrid rice production, he trusted in the Information, Education, and Communication (IEC) materials that were given to him and […]