Rice farmers from Brgy. Cawag, Subic, Zambales, have enthusiastically adopted the use of the seed spreader, a machine introduced to them through the PalaySikatan technology demonstration, for direct seeding.  PalaySikatan is a key project of the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (RCEF) Seed Program, which aims to introduce modern and recommended rice varieties, practices, and technologies to farmers. Virgilio Sabado, one of the techno-demo cooperators, expressed his satisfaction with the seed […]

Domingo F. Panganiban, senior undersecretary of the Department of Agriculture (DA), honors journalists for their significant contributions in agriculture and environment reportage during the recent 2022 Binhi Awards given by the Philippine Agricultural Journalists (PAJ), Inc. “We extend our heartfelt congratulations to the Binhi awardees for your unwavering support to farmers and fisherfolk. Your dedication in crafting inspiring and impactful write-ups truly encourages the Filipino people, including the DA, to […]

DA-Philippine Rice Research Institute (DA-PhilRice), the country’s lead agency on rice research and development, is encouraging stakeholders in the rice industry to scale up technologies to support the Masagana Rice Industry Development Program (MRIDP). In the Rice Technology Transfer Workshops held nationwide in June, latest farming recommendations and technologies were promoted, including the 40kg/ha seeding rate using appropriate variety and the Philippine Rice Information System (PRISM). Alternate wetting and drying, […]

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 library of  Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) has been recognized as one of the champion partners of the Department of Science and Technology’s Science and Technology Information Institute’s STARBOOKS project.  The award was presented at a ceremony marking the 12th year of STARBOOKS, themed, “Pagbibigay Pugay sa mga Bida ng STARBOOKS!” Over the past year, the PhilRice Library has consistently contributed a wealth of science-based information resources to the […]

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 […]