There was just a farmer’s son; now he’s a scientist. Dr. Ricardo F. Orge had been developing technologies for the farmers for 25 years, which led to awards and acclamations. Amidst his success, he wants to be remembered as Scientist na anak ng magsasaka (Farmer’s son). Popularly known as Dong, his inventions focus on climate-change, which includes finding ways on how to help Filipino farmers overcome the challenges of climate […]

Engr. Evangeline Barroga Sibayan, 62, has served the agriculture industry for 37 years. Before her retirement this year, she shares some memories that made her career remarkable as well as some plans for herself and her family. Vangie is a Supervising Science Research Specialist at our Rice Engineering and Mechanization Division (REMD). Prior to joining PhilRice, she was an agricultural engineer, for 10 years, at Maligaya Rice Research and Training […]

Engr. Eden C. Gagelonia has developed quite a number of machines for rice cultivation. She is a Supervising Science Research Specialist at our Rice Engineering and Mechanization Division (REMD). For almost 30 years in the rice engineering sector, she has published numerous research papers and has served as technical reviewer of many of our publications for farmers and other rice stakeholders. Engineering feat She started work at PhilRice in 1989. […]

Rona T. Dollentas is a soil scientist. She has greatly contributed in producing the guide books for different soil types in the Philippines.

Among PhilRice’s promising young scientists, Dr. Reynante Lacsamana Ordonio, 36, has already published in high-impact journals such as Science, Nature Cell Research and Scientific Reports, and Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences-USA. A rare feat for Filipino researchers. He is among the very few researchers at PhilRice that focus on plant molecular breeding and genetic engineering. Rey is currently a postdoctoral research fellow at Nagoya University, working on rice […]

Being a local gives one the advantage of seeing the needs in his community. It fuels the passion to contribute something in whatever means possible. PhilRice researcher Alvin D. Palanog, 35, grew up in a sugarcane hacienda in La Carlota City in Negros Occidental where his father worked as a laborer. As in most agricultural communities in the Philippines, life is difficult in their community during lean months or what […]

Working in the agriculture research sector for 36 years now, PhilRice Scientist Dr. Norvie L. Manigbas has been involved in around 100 studies and has published widely in local and international journals. His group led the development of the first released direct-wet seeded rice variety, NSIC Rc298, which is now grown nationwide. At PhilRice, he leads projects with support and collaborators from Japan, South Korea, and eight ASEAN-member countries. Childhood, […]

This month we feature PhilRice Scientist Dr. Roel R. Suralta. Doc Roel’s papers on root plasticity in rice are published in top-tier journals and have hundreds of citations from researchers in the Philippines and abroad. Colorful college life Coming from a small community high school in Camotes Islands in Cebu, Doc Roel was dwarfed by the atmosphere at the Visayas State University (then Leyte State University) when he entered college […]

We eat, work, and pray every day. Why not add exercise in between? Dr. Riza “Reeze” Abilgos-Ramos shares to us her journey as a nutritionist and her insights on work-life balance. Dr. Ramos is a supervising science research specialist at PhilRice’s Rice Chemistry and Food Science Division. Becoming a nutritionist During her childhood, Dr. Abilgos-Ramos was skinny and very sickly. She was among those who lined up for their school’s […]

Globally, rice pests and diseases will remain as formidable threats to food production efforts. This means low rice yield for farmers, which translates to heightened poverty incidence and food supply imbalances. Dr. Jennifer T. Niones takes off from these challenges in doing host-pathogen interaction studies, leading to development of disease resistant varieties. She is a Supervising Science Research Specialist at PhilRice’s Crop Protection Division. Agri interest “I knew right away […]