FAQs about PhilRice What is PhilRice? Philippine Rice Research Institute

FAQs about PhilRice
1. What is PhilRice?
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Philippine Rice Research Institute
A government corporation attached to the Department of Agriculture (DA)
International Rice Research Institute’s (IRRI) national version
PhilRice is the national lead agency for the planning, coordination,
implementation, and monitoring of all rice research and development (R&D)
activities in the Philippines
2. When was it established?
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Nov. 5, 1985 through Executive Order (EO) 1061, later amended in 1986
25 years after IRRI’s establishment
Operations started in mid-1987 at the UPLB Campus
After 16 years, PhilRice was transferred from DA to the Office of the
President (OP)
Last March 4, 2002, PhilRice was transferred from DA to OP through EO 76 to
lead the implementation of the president’s flagship program - Hybrid Rice
Program.
3. Why was it established?
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To develop and promote the use of knowledge and technologies to ensure
rice self-sufficiency and food security
Why was it established when IRRI is already here?
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IRRI serves all rice-producing/-eating countries. It can’t respond to all the
needs of one specific country
Most agricultural technologies and innovations are location-specific, if we
don’t have a local rice center to receive IRRI’s technologies, then we can’t
profit from its presence
4. What is PhilRice doing?
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Develops rice lines and suitable varieties with yield potential of more than 10
t/ha that will be available and with good grain quality that can withstand a wide
range of stresses due to diseases, insects, and abiotic conditions
Promotes community-based conservation, natural and organic farming or
diversified farming systems models and enterprises, value-added products from
Palayamanan, and policies on sustainable farming
Advocates policies favorable to the rice industry
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Enhances location-specific integrated crop management practices
Develops production management technologies and machinery to
increase yield, reduce cost and losses, protect the environment
Promotes the use of these knowledge and technologies
5. How can PhilRice do it?
manpower complement + infrastructure and facilities
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Total Manpower Complement: Permanent staff: 320 and Service Contractors:
970
73% of the 1,290 core staff belong to the R&D sector
2.71% are PhD holders, 9.84% hold MS degrees, while others are BS
graduates
Most of the PhDs obtained their degrees through fellowship and scholarship
grants awarded by the Rockefeller Foundation, Ford Foundation, USAID,
Fullbright-Hayes, Mombusho, and JICA, among many others
A great number of PhilRice’s scientists and researchers are recipients of
major national awards such as the Ten Outstanding Young Men Award
(TOYM), Ten Outstranding Women for the Nation’s Service (TOWNS),
Outstanding Young Scientist (OYS) Awards, Civil Service Commission Pagasa
Award, Department of Agriculture Gawad Saka Outstanding employee for
Research Award, and the Japanese Society of Agricultural Machinery Mori
Technical Award, among others.
PhilRice is at par with other int’l and superior to most local R&D institutions
107 hectare central experiment station strategically located in Maligaya,
Science City of Muñoz, Nueva Ecija with research laboratories, an AV editing
room, a printing room, greenhouses, a weather station, a power house,
conference and training rooms, a training dormitory and canteen, an
experimental farm, Local area network (LAN) & internet connectivity, among
others
These knowledge workers, with their latent dedication, talents, and creative ability, form the core
of our human resources, which makes the Institute respond to the many challenges and
opportunities in rice R&D.
8. What has PhilRice done together with its partners?
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Released varieties about 100 varieties from 1990 to 2007 suited to various
rice environments.
Developed decision-making tools in nutrient management, which include
Minus-One Element Technique (MOET) and Leaf Color Chart (LCC)
Developed PalayCheck, an integrated crop management system and
Palayaman, a diversified rice-based farming system
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Generated and promoted 23 outstanding tools, machines, and equipment
since 1991
Produced about 400 titles of knowledge products
Trained 200,000 seed growers, extensionists, farmers, and local officials