A Singapore-based publication and a national science body recently cited two experts based at the Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) for their significant contributions to agricultural science. Dr. Roel R. Suralta was listed in the 2023 edition of the Asian Scientist 100 of the Asian Scientist Magazine following his winning in the 2021 National Research Council of the Philippines. The council recognized his works in root science resulting in producing […]

About 70 farmers in Zaragoza, Nueva Ecija are benefitting from a project funded by the Korea Partnership for Innovation of Agriculture (KOPIA). Through the project titled, “Development of the Pilot Village Project for the Establishment of Protective Cultivation and Postharvest Management of Vegetables,” members of the Buklod ng Nagkakaisang Magsasaka ng Batitang (BNMB) Farmers’ Association and Ugat-Uhay Farmers’ Association (UUFA) were trained on rice-based vegetable production. Following a recent week-long […]

To stay or stray? Social scientists based in the Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) recently presented their significant findings on youth engagement and agriculture in the Philippines to the faculty and students of the University of the Philippines in Los Baños (UPLB). According to Teresa Joi P. de Leon, the paper’s main author, review of literature on the said topic from 2011 to 2021 showed that the chance is high […]

More than 6,000 farmers in CAR and Cagayan Valley have received certified seeds from the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund Program (RCEF) Seed Program for the wet season. Through Binhi e-Padala, farmers are pre-registered two months before seed distribution starts in September. Eligible farmers will only show their RCEF ID and claim their allotted seeds based on a set schedule. “For two minutes, we are already pre-registered! Choosing the variety to […]

The Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (RCEF) Program has improved farmers’ access to information by making educational materials available in agri-supply stores. Pilot tested in Nueva Ecija, brochures on proper land preparation, recommended seeding rate for transplanting (40kg/ha) and direct-seeding (60-80kg/ha), right nutrient management, and good pest management were distributed in agri-stores in Science City of Muñoz and Guimba. Store owners expressed pride in their role as intermediaries in disseminating information […]

The Philippine Commission on Women (PCW) awarded PhilRice the GADtimpala Silver for Outstanding Gender-Responsive Agency and the GADtimpala Bronze for the Exemplary GAD Focal Point System (GADtimpala AlaGAD) due to its commendable efforts in mainstreaming gender equality, diversity, and social inclusion. The GADtimpala selection committee, comprising representatives from national government agencies, acknowledged the Institute’s achievements in four areas: policy; people; enabling mechanisms; and programs, projects, and activities. The PCW evaluators […]

Farmers in San Manuel, Pangasinan have resolved nutrient deficiencies in their rice fields with the learning gained from the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund Rice Extension Services Program (RESP). “[We didn’t know what was infecting our field]. We already applied all kinds of pesticides, insecticides, and herbicides but were not effective. We only learned that our field lacks zinc when the Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) in Batac City and our […]

The Binhi e-Padala system of Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (RCEF) Seed Program has improved the convenience for senior farmers in claiming certified inbred seeds from the program. Dominga Caranta, a 72-year-old farmer from Rosario, La Union, expressed her gratitude for the digital technology that eliminated the need for her to wake up early and skip breakfast to join the long queues for seed distribution. Through the Binhi e-Padala system, farmers […]

Just before the recent announcement of the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration on the arrival of El Niño, the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (RCEF) Seed Program has already delivered almost 2 million bags of certified seeds that included early-maturing varieties across the country.  Experts at the Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) said early-maturing varieties are recommended during El Niño as these can be harvested before the drought intensifies so […]

As a contribution to the country’s bid for rice security, Korea’s Official Development Aid grants the Philippines with facilities that will improve the Philippine rice supply chain. Under the project, “Improving the rice supply chain to ensure quality of rice seeds and milled rice for distribution and buffer stocks in the Philippines,” Korea will allot USD 4.5M until 2026 to enhance rice seed distribution in the country. As one of […]