Following the approval of the commercial propagation of Golden Rice, the Philippine Rice Research Institute of the Department of Agriculture (DA-PhilRice) is now working on the necessary steps such as seed production towards its deployment. On a visit to DA-PhilRice Central Experiment Station in the  Science City of Muñoz, Nueva Ecija, May 6, Sec. William Dar received an overview of ongoing Golden Rice seed production activities and administered a ceremonial […]

Rice is a prominent staple food comprising 40% of the Filipino diet and a primary source of carbohydrates that provide energy needed by the body. No other food can truly take the place of rice. The Healthier Rice Project under the DA-PhilRice, in partnership with the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), develops biofortified rice like Golden Rice as a complementary food-based intervention to offer better access to nutritious food. Golden […]

The recent commercial propagation approval of Golden Rice was lauded by global experts as an indicator of the Philippines’ leadership role in agricultural biotechnology in the ASEAN region. The country’s pioneering path began in 1990 with the establishment of its first biosafety policy and was further strengthened by Administrative Order No. 8, Series of 2002 (AO8), which opened the pathways for “local agriculture to benefit from the safe and responsible […]

With DA-BPI’s release of the final biosafety approval, Golden Rice is now cleared for commercial propagation. Science City of Muñoz, Philippines — Filipino rice consumers are close to benefiting from a Vitamin A-infused rice with the approval of its commercial propagation permit. Dr. John C. de Leon, executive director of the Department of Agriculture-Philippine Rice Research Institute (DA-PhilRice), announced that a biosafety permit for propagating the Golden Rice has been […]

Healthier rice including Golden Rice are good complementary sources of nutrition. Dr Marissa Romero, food scientist based in the Department of Agriculture-Philippine Rice Research Institute (DA-PhilRice), said rice comprises almost 40% of the Filipino daily diet. With the prominence of rice in the Filipino diet, its potential role in improving nutrition and health is a dynamic area of research at DA-PhilRice as part of its mandate to develop safe and nutritious rice […]

Golden Rice, a type of rice that contains beta-carotene (a source of vitamin A), is now in the final stage of biosafety regulatory assessments. Once it gets the permit for commercial propagation anytime soon, the Department of Agriculture-Philippine Rice Research Institute (DA-PhilRice) will be preparing for its deployment initially on a pilot scale in areas where malnutrition, especially vitamin A deficiency, is high. Now, the question that people ask is: […]