Writer. Information technology practitioner. Systems developer. Administrator. Smart farm manager. Not five people but one. For over 30 years, Pagasa Awardee Roger F. Barroga has calibrated himself across disciplines. Sir Roger, as he is called at work, is one of PhilRice’s pioneer staff having joined the Institute while its main operations were still in Los Baños, Laguna. A call for service Hailing from Luna, Apayao, Sir Roger’s parents were in […]

As they say, prevention is better than cure. Researchers at Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) are studying the impact of the emergence of the world’s worst weed in irrigated lowland rice production. Cyperus rotundus L. or purple nutsedge also locally called as mutha, sudsud, and barsanga, which is previously known to grow only in the upland, is now quite prevalent in the lowland. As mutha is considered the worst weed […]

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 […]

Early in 2015 the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Service Administration officially announced the onslaught of El Niño in the Philippines that caused drastic decline in crop production. Data from the Philippine Statistics Authority shows that rice and corn alone respectively fell by 818,000 and 251,800 mt that year compared in 2014. Losses were also recorded in sugarcane, coffee, tobacco, onion, cabbage, and rubber. It was one of the strongest […]

A young graduate of BS Biology at the Central Luzon State University is loving his work at Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice); describing it as fulfilling and fun. Only 24, Jonathan S. Concepcion, Science Research Analyst at Plant Breeding and Biotechnology Division, has authored 17 papers and posters. Amidst the research rigors, he manages to pursue his studies and other skills. Found his love at the lab Jonathan started as […]

Dr. Sailila E. Abdula, acting executive director of PhilRice, has designated three acting deputy executive directors (DED) and three acting branch directors, effective 1 January 2018. Deputies Former PhilRice Agusan Director, Abner T. Montecalvo, has been designated as acting DED for Administrative Services and Finance. Montecalvo is a three-time Outstanding Official awardee of PhilRice—in 2002, 2013, and 2016—and has been in the management in different capacities for 22 years. He […]

Becoming an agriculturist was not Ruben Balagtas Miranda’s (a.k.a. Sir RBM) childhood dream. Yet, he grew to love the profession that made him serve the rice farmers for a lifetime. Sir RBM barely knew anything about farming prior to entering the university. What he did was to follow the footsteps of his sister. “My elder sister was an agriculture graduate, and I saw that she was doing well in her […]

To work with scientists, attend conferences abroad, and serve as a resource person in training programs are among the opportunities she never expected to achieve prior to joining PhilRice Central Experiment Station in Nueva Ecija. Ms. Josefina F. Ballesteros also known as “Fruity”, is a Science Research Specialist who works on market research in support to rice-based product development. At 24, she now leads a project and two market studies […]

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. […]