The Department of Agriculture–Philippine Rice Research Institute (DA-PhilRice) is marking its 40th founding anniversary with a strong record in intellectual property (IP) generation, ranking among government institutions with the highest number of granted IP applications.
As of 2025, PhilRice holds more than 400 IP assets, including 50 patents, 53 utility models, 12 industrial designs, 10 trademarks, and 284 copyrights, representing four decades of research outputs translated into technologies for farmers, seed producers, and industry partners.
In 2025, the Institute received two major recognitions for IP excellence: the Innovation Platinum Award from the Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IPOPHL) for patent protection, technology transfer, and IP awareness; and the Executive Director’s Award for Top Patent Grantee from the DOST–Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic and Natural Resources Research and Development.
IPOPHL earlier recognized PhilRice in 2018 with the Gawad Yamang Isip Special Award for recording the highest number of patents granted among government institutions over a 20-year period.
Supporting this strong IP portfolio are practical inventions that have made a tangible impact on modern rice farming. Technologies such as the flatbed dryer, mechanized weeder, mini rice combine, and software tools for grain quality and field analysis have been licensed to local manufacturers, resulting in affordable machines widely adopted by farmers across the country.
The Institute not only applies for patents and utility models but also ensures that inventions are field-ready and scalable. Through its Business Development Division’s (BDD) Intellectual Property Management–Innovation and Technology Support Office, researchers are trained on patent drafting, search, and technology transfer processes while partnerships with local manufacturers and cooperatives help bring machines, software, and postharvest tools into real-world farming systems.
Business Development Division Head Fidela P. Bongat said the Institute is strengthening its innovation pathways to ensure research outputs reach intended users.
“Our goal is to ensure that strong research outputs have clear routes to protection and industry partnership, so that technologies developed by PhilRice can benefit farmers and communities,” Bongat said.
The Institute is also after value-added rice products. Patented food-processing methods—from gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) rice congee to fortified rice-based snacks—are being adopted by women and youth agripreneur groups, demonstrating how IP protection supports not only farm productivity but also rural entrepreneurship.
