In 2015, we published a version of the MOET app on the Google Playstore and created a Facebook page to promote it. Furthermore, the bioaccumulation of the heavy metals in the grain may not be indicative of the distance of the rice areas from the origin of the mine tail spill. The results of these tests were part of the criteria for rice lines before commercialization.
In 2014, we completed prototypes of the row-type precision seeder and planter, and the improved 1.3 meter (85%) combine. The pump addresses SFR disadvantages such as the need for a significant portion of the farm;
Development
We received extensive local and national media coverage as evidenced by our media exposure on P9M in 2015, even greater than the entire Division's budget in the same year, based on our media monitoring initiatives. We are currently working on the junior version of PinoyRice, a rice information portal called PinoyRice Jr. In support of research, we now have a state-of-the-art library with subscriptions to some of the world's largest scientific databases including.
As local rice production moves towards full mechanization, it is necessary to assess the effects of the initial spread of rice threshers. To augment our socio-economic research, we benchmarked the status of the Philippine rice industry against other rice-producing countries in Asia. We also create opportunities to exchange thoughts and craft decisions for the rice industry through our policy seminars on rice research investment and agricultural insurance program improvement.
The development of the available farm was supported by the Local Government Unit of Nueva Ecija, AGFUND, DA-RFO 3 and DA-FSSP. In 2015, the on-farm Rice Boot Camp for the new generation of rice extension workers - aptly called AgriDocs - was implemented by Project IPaD. Work has started on the integration of the rice hull gasifier, biodiesel, hydropower and wind energy to recirculate harvested water that irrigates rice fields.
The Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Metro Manila Development Authority allowed us to use their respective LED screens alongside EDSA.
Campaigns and other
Millions of Filipinos were made aware of how they could help our country achieve rice self-sufficiency through the Be Riceponible campaign from 2014 to 2015. This awareness resulted in the assimilation of at least one responsible rice consumption behavior among 78% of consumers reached – either they stopped wasting rice, they started eating brown rice or rice mixed with other staples, or they appreciated the hard work of our farmers. We conducted the campaign through various events: simultaneous national fun runs for rice, brown rice and rice mix days, cooking competitions, exhibitions, participation in major festivals and presentations at conferences, general meetings and national events.
They supported the campaign by promoting it through their services and incorporating it into their activities, events or projects resulting in millions in savings and more efficient and cost-effective dissemination of information. For example, the National Telecommunications Commission and the Kapisanan ng mga Brodkaster sa Pilipinas asked all television and radio stations nationwide to air the campaign ads for as long as they can; the sun Megaworld Mall, Robinsons and Seven-Eleven featured advocacy messages in their products, stalls and activities; and various hotels and restaurants began to offer half a cup of rice and brown rice.
Our success can also be seen in supporting local government units through the adoption of more than 50 half-cup rice ordinances and resolutions that encourage the serving of brown rice in provinces, major cities and municipalities nationwide. It is expected that this competition will further break down our key messages through the localization of implementation. In 2015, we also found, with the help of the Hotel and Restaurant Association of the Philippines, that rice waste in food establishments in Metro Manila is 10g per person, which is close to the 9g household table waste found by FNRI in 2008.
We also studied the effectiveness of the implementation of the half-cup ordinance in Cebu City to improve its execution in other localities.
Infomediary Campaign
We want to increase the well-being of farmers through agripreneurship and strong formation of moral and social values. We've also taken this advocacy online, with a focus on promoting farmers' successful stories through testimonial videos. Enhancing Technology Promotion and Delivery through Capacity Enhancement of Next Generation Rice Extension Professionals and Other Intermediaries (Project IPaD).
We now call them AgRiDOCs or Community Agricultural Development Officers, after completing six modules that not only honed their competence in technology promotion and delivery of rice and rice-based farming technologies, but also, more importantly, strengthened their sense of mission . Thirty-nine project proposals were generated and many of the AgRiDOCs began implementing their proposals. ICT-based tools form an integral part of the work we do to help farmers.
The recommendations were products of the first National Rice Extension Forum held in 2014 at PhilRice and from consultations with extension experts. The symposium and also facilitated membership of AgRiDOCs in PhilEASNet in support of their professional growth. During our monitoring and evaluation, we found that the Luzon group considers the quality of resource persons and the holistic approach of training to be the main strengths of the AgRiDOC training program.
Among other things, the package recommended improving the delivery of topics on water and pest control.
Rice Science Museum
As we write, more than 100 artifacts have been added to our collection, thanks to our museum branches in San Mateo, Isabela, and the town of Batac in northern Ilocos. We wrote two papers – Museum Visitors' Interactive Learning Behavior: The Rice Science Experience and Approaching Rice Science: A Journey to the PhilRice Rice Science Mobile Museum –. We brought the museum closer to the communities with mobile exhibitions for the public, especially in urban areas, to gain a deeper view and appreciation of rice - that it is not just food on a plate.
We also included 16 students from Metro Manila in the Rice Science and Art Summer Camp. Decoding the drawings of the young artists showed a transition from merely sympathizing with the farmers to being empowered to help the farmers. Our efforts seem to have caught the interest of rice stakeholders as we managed to land on the front pages of our major national dailies, with the Philippine Star and Manila Bulletin publishing editorials on our work.
Palayabangan
Our seven offices are strategically positioned nationwide to ensure our science and advocacy reaches our stakeholders. In addition to their own research initiatives, they also accelerate the implementation of the National Cooperative Tests for candidate varieties. Institutional campaigns such as the Rural Transformation Movement, BeRiceponsible and Palayabangan are being implemented in all our branches.
External initiatives include the National Irrigation Sector Rehabilitation and Improvement Project (NISRIP)[Agricultural Support Component], Upland Rice Development Program, JICA Technical Cooperation 5, PRISM, Heirloom, Associated Technologies under the DA-Food Staples Sufficiency Program, and projects implemented by the DA regional field offices. Our branch stations have reached over 35,000 farmers through training programmes, community briefings, field days and travel exposure alone. Of the said number, 105 were top fresh graduates from state colleges and universities who were involved in a week-long rice appreciation course to prepare them for possible jobs in the rice sector.
We engaged 240 farmers in our Schools-in-the-Air programs in PhilRice Agusan and Isabela. We trained more than 500 farmers, agricultural extension workers and women were educated on rice and rice-based farming systems.
On all fours on the ground
Close to 10,000 students, farmers, teachers and other stakeholders were served through our one-stop information shops at the branch stations. PhilRice Isabela even partnered with Cagayan, Isabela and Quirino State Universities to make the stores more functional. We distributed more than 7,000 kg of rice seeds to farmers under our project with PCAARRD-DOST.
Ang pagpaparami ng purong binhi ng palay ay ipinamahagi sa mahigit 1,000 magsasaka at LGU rice technical personnel.
INNOVATIONS
IN OUR BRANCH STATIONS
Probably the only rice garden in Metro Manila, it is maintained by PhilRice Los Baños and has attracted around 10,000 walk-in guests. Los Baños and Romblon State University helped 132 farmers in Romblon improve their adaptability to climate change. In collaboration with DA-RFO5, Phase 2 of this project focused on enhancing the capabilities of Bicol's Agta IPs through the Palayamanan approach.
Los Baños produced a four-volume book documenting this seminal work on Bicol's IPs. Midsayap used this approach as part of the JICA Technical Cooperation Project 5, in which farmers advocate rice production technologies to their fellow farmers. This resulted in 44% adoption of the rice technologies taught in Maguindanao and 80% in Lanao del Sur in 2014.
The aim was to engage young people with rice in a creative way and come up with materials that can be shown to farmers who come to the station during field days or other activities led by the station. Midsayap and the local Ministry of Social Affairs and Development trained 4Ps recipients in the area for rice production. Since 2015, Batac has established its database, which contains nearly 50,000 photos of the station's R&D studies and activities, data from 57 studies, 569 e-copies of literature and other important documents of the station, for easy retrieval.
Our branch stations each have space set aside for a mini-library to accommodate students, researchers or anyone who wishes to use our information material.
Administration
PHILIPPINE RICE RESEARCH INSTITUTE Board of Trustees
