“They say that sailing across the sea is a dream come true, yet, you can also sail in the farm and build dreams of your own.”  Christopher Harold C. Arboleda, 31-year-old-graduate of a training of trainers (TOT) course by the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (RCEF) Rice Extension Services Program said.  “In farming, you own your time. I’m the worker, I’m also the boss. If you’re looking for a career or […]

Living a healthy life is a matter of choice. While some people choose to be healthy, others take on the bigger responsibility to help others live a healthy life.  In the rice industry, there are people who took on the challenge to bring healthier rice options to more Filipinos’ tables.  Rice options to curb malnutrition  Upon learning that 3 of 10 children are malnourished and 7 of 10 women are […]

Nanotechnology (nanotech) is revolutionizing farming, requiring a critical study on ultra-small-scale materials. “Nano” means “one billionth.”  Nanotech can set the standards for fertilizers, pesticides, and other agri supplies that contain agrochemicals. DA-PhilRice scientists and researchers are now navigating into nanotech by conducting a “fertilizer derby” experiment led by Dr. Leylani Juliano, chief science research specialist (SRS). A certain nano fertilizer is also being jointly developed with the Central Luzon State […]

To Third Domingo, farming was a childhood dream. Coming from a family of teachers and farmers, he now savors the different kind of happiness that agriculture offers, that is despite being a sought-after creative writer for big brands.  Now that he has built his own advertising company called IXM, he set off to his dream of being a farmer.  Farming: Returning to his roots  “When the sun sets, you stop […]

“We’re not here because it’s an easy life. We’re here to make lives easy.” This is the essence of serving the Filipino rice farmers, according to Dr. Santiago R. Obien, now 87, first DA-PhilRice director. A crux deeply ingrained that no insurgencies, vandalized fields, travel ordeals, and limited resources can interrupt.  Conflict passers-by Reaching the marginalized farmers entails faith without neglecting self preservation. Datu Ali “Alex” Sumlay of DA-PhilRice Midsayap, […]

Before the sun gets warmer energizing the earth, a throng of field workers in bicycles or motorcycles is already in the wide experimental farms of DA-PhilRice at 7 a.m. In the late afternoon, while the king of day scatters the amber, many researchers are still in the offices at 5 p.m., stretching the day a bit, not leaving unfinished work for tomorrow.  This is not an embracing of time that […]

Undertakings, no matter how similar they may seem, will always require new strategies and perseverance to succeed.  The Davao Multipurpose Seed Producers Cooperative (DAMSEPCO) and South Nueva Ecija Seed Growers Multipurpose Coop (South NESGMPC) are not new to government procurements. Since their establishment, providing seeds for public and private programs has been their bread and butter. So, when DA-PhilRice contracted them as partners in the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (RCEF) […]

Are you looking for a one-stop shop for rice-related data in the Philippines? PalayStat will surely be useful for you! PalayStat, an interactive web-based system that aims to provide easy access, was launched in 2014. It contains farm-level data of selected rice provinces acquired from the Rice-based Farm Households Survey (RBFHS), a survey being conducted by the Socioeconomics Division of Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) every five years. With this […]

In a village in Mamasapano, Maguindanao, the fear caused by an unfortunate event here seven years ago is now supplanted with faith that farmers can improve their lives; thanks to an opportunity opened up by the Villar Sipag Foundation and maintained by the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (RCEF). Modrika A. Masukat, owner of MORE SAF 44 – an RCEF farm school, recalled that after the town incident in 2015, residents […]

Fulfillment in service. This is one of the driving forces for many youngsters to start a career in the government. While many start with this motivation, only a few stay and finish strong.  For Architect Renato Bajit and Dr. Caesar Joventino M. Tado, starting to work with DA-PhilRice in 1987 and 1997, respectively, was a “rare opportunity to serve the [Filipino] people.”  From scratch  As Bajit looks back, being one […]