President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. recently appointed the executive director of Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) and its new Board of Trustees members.
Agriculture Secretary Francisco P. Tiu Laurel Jr. swears in Dr. John C. de Leon for his second term as PhilRice executive director on July 30 as the country seeks to boost rice production and support farmers.
During his five-year term, de Leon focused not only on science and technology but also on strategies to directly bring farmers’ produce to the market.
As a distinguished leader in the private and public rice sector — international and national, he encourages PhilRice to live by the motto “Better PhilRice, better rice farming communities.”
Starting as a junior researcher, he has developed varieties including Mestiso 59, which yielded 12t/ha in the Northern Mindanao Hybrid Rice Derby. This variety is resilient during rainy seasons, has long slender grains with good eating quality, and has 71% milling recovery.
Also appointed by Pres. Rodrigo Duterte on Dec. 3, 2019, he steered PhilRice to help the country achieve record-breaking harvests in 2021 and 2023.
De Leon, who hails from Angeles City, has received numerous awards in recognition of his contributions to science and agriculture, including the 2023 Outstanding Alumnus Award (Order of St. Gabriel the Archangel) from Holy Angel University and the 2022 Distinguished Alumnus Award for Science and Technology/Research Administration from the UPLB Alumni Association.
He has also been recognized by the National Seed Industry Council, the National Academy of Science and Technology (NAST), and the Crop Science Society of the Philippines. He received the 2016 Sant S. Virmani Hybrid Rice Award and the NAST-DuPont 2002 Talent Search Award for Young Scientists.
Under his leadership, PhilRice was also named Asia Best Employer by CHRO Asia in 2023.
Meanwhile, Pres. Marcos appointed three new members to the DA-PhilRice Board of Trustees.
The new appointees include Dr. Adeliza A. Dorado, an expert in food processing and bioprocess engineering from the University of the Philippines Los Baños, who represents the science community; Ramon T. Lim, a member of the Private Sector Advisory Council for Agriculture, representing the agribusiness sector; and Ariel B. Dolores, President of the Philippine Rice Seed Growers Federation of Agriculture Cooperative (PhilPalay), representing the farming and seed production sector.
The expanded board, chaired by Agriculture Secretary Tiu Laurel, is tasked with advancing the Institute’s mission of improving rice farming communities across the country. The board also includes Undersecretary Christopher V. Morales, Senen C. Bacani, Engr. Romeo S. Vasquez, Dr. Francisco Gil N. Garcia, and Delfin R. Pilapil Jr.
