Researchers at the Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) have developed an automated classification software to measure chalkiness and identify immature grains in milled rice. In the conventional process, the grain quality evaluation team of the Rice Varietal Improvement Group (RVIG) manually evaluates the physical attributes of 600-800 promising lines every year. They evaluate two sets of 30g milled rice of candidate elite line using their naked eye, a process that […]

The Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) in Midsayap, North Cotabato launched new projects and rice-based value-adding enterprises during its annual farmers’ field day, Sept. 20. Over 1,000 farmers learned the latest projects of the station such as the PalaYamaNayon and Technical Cooperation Project 6 of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA TCP 6). PalaYamaNayon promotes diversification, intensification, and integration to boost the income of rice-based farming villages. During the event, […]

PhilRice has recently launched two rice paddy arts featuring the images of President Rodrigo Duterte and Vice President Leni Robredo. The PhilRice branch in Los Baños, Laguna has created the “Du30” rice paddy art while the FutureRice Farm at the PhilRice Central Experiment Station in Nueva Ecija featured Duterte and Robredo’s faces. This project called Rice Up Pilipinas is “a creative way to call for unity among Filipinos to become […]

Development workers at the Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) reported that agricultural cooperatives are effective partners in technology promotion and rural development. Through the project Empowering farmers’ cooperatives through sustainable promotion of high yielding rice production technologies for progressive rural economy, agricultural cooperatives were recognized as important vehicles in promoting cost-reducing and high-yielding rice and rice-based farming technologies. “What makes agricultural cooperatives unique is that they have a unified action […]

Key officials of the Department of Agriculture (DA) updated the farmers on the agency’s targets for the next six years during the recently concluded Lakbay Palay at the Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) in Nueva Ecija, Sept. 15-16. Speaking to over 1,000 farmer participants, DA’s Director for field operations Roy M. Abaya and National Rice Program senior technical adviser and PhilRice’s first Executive Director Dr. Santiago R. Obien said that […]

More than 2,000 youth attended an exhibit conducted by the Rice Science Museum in a mall in Cauayan City, Isabela as part of the country’s recent celebration of the Heritage Month. Dubbed as Tawid, the Iluko word for heritage, the mobile museum exhibit aimed to increase knowledge on Isabela’s rice heritage and production history. Danilo B. Tumamao, provincial agriculturist, said that despite the province’s accomplishments on rice farming, most of […]

Department of Science and Technology (DOST) Secretary Fortunato T. Dela Peña acknowledged the outputs of rice research and development and the industry’s role in helping the country’s rice sector, September 7. “In a country where rice is a staple food, nothing compares for an ordinary citizen than to be assured of having an affordable, accessible, high quality, and nutritious rice at all times,” Dela Peña said during the opening of […]

A key official of the Department of Agriculture (DA) challenged researchers and scientists to design and develop technologies that are reachable to the hands of the Filipino farmers. During the opening ceremony of the 29th National Rice R&D Conference held at the Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice), DA Undersecretary for Policy and Planning Segfredo Serrano recognized the technologies developed by Filipino researchers but emphasized the importance of technologies’ accessibility. “The […]

Around 500 researchers, scientists, members of the academe, students, farmers, and other stakeholders will gather at the Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) in Science City of Muñoz, Nueva Ecija for the 29th National Rice R&D Conference, September 7-8, 2016. With the theme, R4D and rice security, the 2016 conference will focus on plans and strategies for attaining rice security. “With this conference, we aim to get feedback and advice from […]

Dr. Sailila Estilong Abdula, chief science research specialist and designated acting director of the PhilRice Midsayap branch station in North Cotabato, has been handpicked by Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel Piñol as the Acting Executive Director of PhilRice effective August 2016. Abdula, 44, son of West Patadon, Matalam, North Cotabato obtained his PhD in Agriculture, major in plant genetics, from Chungbuk National University in Korea in 2012. As a rice breeder, he […]