In a country where nutritious fruits and vegetables are abundant, you may think that health could never go wrong. Contrary to this belief, malnutrition has taken its roots in this land, where agriculture is the bread and butter. Micronutrient deficiency or hidden hunger is among these. This form of malnutrition is asymptomatic －you will not know that you have it until it manifests through other forms of diseases or ailments […]

There is a peculiar reason why the Rose Kambingan Kainan in Sapang, Jaen, Nueva Ecija is a long-time favorite of its loyal customers. Aside from their delectable goat meat-based dishes, the humble restaurant is known for serving the best variety of rice – soft, white, and steamy. In a day, the restaurant cooks 25kg of rice from 7AM to 8PM. Cashier Epifania Ramos identifies NSIC Rc160 and Rc218 rices as […]

Let’s begin by imagining a Filipino father of three eating a riceless meal. He desperately realizes that rice has become so near yet so far, as though rice were only for the rich. His wife reiterates to him that their remaining money isn’t for rice alone. He finishes his fourth boiled banana. Meal over. At least, he saw his wife and kids enjoy the available “lugaw.” Now, back to reality. […]

Out of ingenuity and resourcefulness, the Grade 10 students of Baluan National High School (BNHS) in General Santos City fabricated a simple, open-type carbonizer that farming families can duplicate in their own households. Agri-crop students Joshua Padilla, Jenny Algarme, Arhon James Patricio, Selwyn Luayon, 16, and Amie Lym Dedel, 17, shared that their version of the carbonizer first emerged as a school project after watching a video presentation on the […]

Bring learning into the community and encourage sharing. Rice extension workers participated in a field tour to a PhilRice’s PalaYamaNayon site in Pampanga to help them replicate the success story in their respective communities. The 11 participants from extension, research, and academe are part of the RiceUpPH Training conducted by the project dubbed as  Improving technology promotion and delivery through capability enhancement of the next generation of rice extension professionals […]

Handed down through generations, heirloom rices are special breeds of rice. They exhibit exceptional nutritional value, flavor, aroma, color, and cooking quality. While the demand for these varieties is high both in local and international markets, its production is low. Clara Saga-oc Aboli, a rice farmer from Kalinga, Apayao, admitted that heirloom rice despite its promising qualities was not a high yielder. She could only harvest 6 chayan or 360 […]

In the upland areas of Masinloc, Zambales, a farm is measured by a balitang – a box of rice paddy with a size of more or less 6,000 square meters. Mario Ermita, 59, owns five balitang on his farm and spends P15, 000 on labor for transplanting. Ermita has cut down his expenses when he was introduced to a technology for transplanting through the project titled Accelerating the development and […]

Elizabeth Arceta Sol from Leganes, Iloilo believes that all farmers are capable of becoming a “rice achiever.” After all, she became one. A retired marketing cooperative secretary, Sol received the 2015 Rice Achiever Award, a commendation given by the Department of Agriculture to farmers who make it big in rice farming. Her story started when she was 28 years old. Her husband, Jerry, convinced her to retire and stay at […]

Thinking of a new year’s resolution? We suggest “healthy eating” as you welcome another year in your life. If you are an office worker, stay-at-home parent, or someone who lives a sedentary lifestyle, these are five principles of healthy eating you should keep in mind:   Eat a complete meal always.  Filipinos typically eat rice and their vegetable and/or meat viands together, leaving out fruits for dessert. Not the best […]

The holiday season in the Philippines is filled with endless reunions, weddings, and karaoke sessions with friends and families. It is the time of the year again of binge-eating and pairing our staple food with lechon, hamon, or another carb such as pasta. Whether you come from a far-flung province, practice a different religion, or speak a dying language, you cannot escape from rice this holiday season. Be riceponsible during […]