In April, during the country’s observance of National Intellectual Property (IP) Month, Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) highlighted technologies designed to help farmers cope with rising fertilizer costs and climate risks.
Data from the Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IPOPHL) show that the Institute has generated more than 400 IP assets including 53 patents, 53 utility models, 12 industrial designs, 11 trademarks, and 284 copyrights, designed to address challenges faced by rice farmers.
Head of PhilRice Intellectual Property Management Office Atty. Jerry C. Serapion said that these include digital platforms such as the Rice Crop Manager, which provides field-specific fertilizer recommendations complemented by the rice production system PalayCheck and the Minus-One-Element Technique used in nutrient diagnosis for farmers to address soil nutrient deficiencies and use fertilizer more efficiently.
As dry conditions linked to El Niño continue to threaten production, the Institute also highlighted climate-resilient technologies including stress-tolerant rice varieties and water-saving practices such as alternate wetting and drying, which help farmers manage limited water supply.
Digital tools like eDamuhan also support crop management decisions including input use and planting adjustments under changing field conditions.
Mechanization technologies including flatbed dryers, mechanical weeders, and mini combine harvesters, can also help reduce labor and fuel costs, easing pressure from rising input prices, PhilRice added.
The Institute is also developing value-added products, including patented gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) rice congee and fortified rice-based snacks, which are now being used by women and youth agripreneur groups.
Several of these technologies have been adopted in the field and licensed to local manufacturers, improving access for farmers.
PhilRice’s IP efforts have been recognized with an Innovation Platinum Award in 2025 from IPOPHL for patent protection and technology transfer and the Executive Director’s Award for Top Patent Grantee from the DOST–Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic and Natural Resources Research and Development.
In 2018, PhilRice also received IPOPHL’s Gawad Yamang Isip Special Award for having the highest number of patents granted among government institutions over a 20-year period.
“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,” said Fidela P. Bongat, head of the Institute’s Business Development Division.
Bongat said the Institute continues to train researchers in patent drafting and technology transfer while working with cooperatives and manufacturers to expand the use of these innovations.
