The Binhi e-Padala system of Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (RCEF) Seed Program has improved the convenience for senior farmers in claiming certified inbred seeds from the program.
Dominga Caranta, a 72-year-old farmer from Rosario, La Union, expressed her gratitude for the digital technology that eliminated the need for her to wake up early and skip breakfast to join the long queues for seed distribution.
Through the Binhi e-Padala system, farmers receive text messages informing them of their claiming schedule and a unique code to present when receiving seeds.
“As we follow a ‘first come, first served’ policy, I used to wake up at 4 a.m. and sacrifice meals just to ensure I was ahead of the hundreds of fellow farmers scheduled to receive the seeds,” she said.
Another senior farmer, Romana Udan, 84 years old from San Juan, La Union, agreed that the app’s scheduling feature removed the hassle associated with distribution.
Teresita Gacute, a 64-year-old farmer from Sto. Domingo, Ilocos Sur, who initially had limited experience with technology, appreciated how mobile technologies made seed distribution more organized.
During the 2021 wet and 2022 dry seasons, approximately, more than 35% of the 91,000 RCEF farmers served by Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) in Batac City, Ilocos Norte were 60 years old and above.
Moreover, the app also fast-tracked the financial transactions between PhilRice and the program’s accredited seed cooperatives.
To facilitate the implementation of Binhi e-Padala, farmers’ cooperatives and associations (FCA) gathered their member’s details for inputting into the system during the pre-registration.
During the distribution schedule, pre-registered farmers promptly receive their seed allocation after presenting a valid ID and voucher.
The RCEF Seed Program is a component of Republic Act 11203 or Rice Tariffication Law, which allocates P3 billion funds every year to develop, propagate, and promote high-quality inbred rice seeds to help improve the competitiveness of Filipino rice farmers.
