ABOUT US

Firstly, the General Appropriations Act (GAA) for Fiscal Year 2024, Section 15e, underscores support for the system of rice intensification, indicating a clear financial backing for this initiative, and 15b for the distribution and development of seeds which are optimally adaptive to present and future climate conditions as support for the Agroecology-based Rice Farming (AbRF).

Additionally, Executive Order No. 578 establishes the Policy of the State on Biological Diversity, emphasizing the involvement of the private sector and civil society, which is integral to the National Rice Program's success.

Moreover, Republic Act 10601, specifically Article 1, Section 2a, promotes the adoption of appropriate agricultural and fisheries mechanization technologies to enhance productivity, food security, safety, and ultimately uplift farmers' income. This legislative framework further strengthens the rationale for scaling of rice technologies under the National Rice Program. Lastly, RA 10601, Article IX, Section 34, which addresses contiguous farming, provides a legal basis for the program's strategies to improve agricultural efficiency and sustainability.

The project shall cover wet and dry cropping seasons starting in 2024 in the rice-producing municipalities and provinces distributed in all 15 participating regions across the country, funded under the National Rice Program.

Agroecology-based Rice Farming (AbRF) - is a nature-based approach that shall transform the rice monoculture landscape into ecology-based diversified systems. AbRF aims to promote environment-friendly, efficient, and sustainable farm practices, and promote health and wellness with hig-quality farm-produced food.

Agricultural Extension Worker (AEW) - refers to an agriculturist, veterinarian, agricultural engineer, aquaculturist, or home extensionist who helps farmers and fishermen in the promotion of agricultural and fishery development plans, programs, and projects through the use of extension methodologies, concepts, and principles.

Bunded - these are land areas with walls/barriers along the boundary of the agricultural field that are used to contain rainwater in the field itself, which helps in retaining soil moisture for a longer time, reducing soil erosion during heavy rain and protecting fertile soil.

Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) - refers to a non-government, non-profit, voluntary group of citizen organized at the local, national, or international level to address issues of public concern. These organizations often work to promote social, political, economic, or environmental change and to advocate for the interests and rights of marginalized or disadvantaged groups. These CSOs are accredited either by the National Technical Committee on Accreditation or the Regional Technical Committee on Accreditation as stipulated under the DA Administrative Circular No. 13, Series of 2022.

Farmers and Fisherfolk Registry System (FFRS) - an online system used to facilitate the encoding of registered enrollment forms in support of the updating of the Registry System for Basic Sectors in Agriculture (RSBSA).

Farmers' Cooperative and Associations (FCAs) - refers to a group of individuals, who have undergone social preparation duly registered by any recognized government agency with at least 75% of its members engaged in agriculture-related activities.

Heirloom Rice Production - propagation of a special kind of indigenous rice that the ancestors' tribes have planted called Heirloom rice. Handed down by generations, heirloom rice varieties are a source of food and livelihood and a carrier of significant historical and cultural values.

Local Farmer Technician (LFT) - individuals or farmer-leaders who possess specialized knowledge and skills in agriculture and work directly with farmers at the local level to provide technical assistance and support.

Palayamanan - a farming system that promotes an integrated rice-based farm production system. This technology highlights the purposive integration of various farming components such as rice and other crops, livestock, fish, and recycling to improve land productivity and diversify vulnerability risks, thereby improving resilience.

System of Rice Intensificiation (SRI) - a farming methodology that aims to increase the yield of rice while using fewer resources and reducing environmental impacts. SRI focuses on changing crop establishment and management practices as well as water and nutrient management to create a more productive and sustainable rice cultivation system.

Subject Matter Experts - refer to resource persons, technical consultants, and technical personnel who are experts and knowledgeable in their respective field and will provide technical assistance and guidance in the implementation of the project.

Registry System for Basic Sectors in Agriculture (RSBSA) - the electronic compilation or database of basic information on farmers, farm laborers, and fisherfolk who are the target beneficiaries of agriculture-related programs and services.

PALAYAMANAN

Rainfed, upland areas, and some irrigated lowlands with enough resource access to support crop/farm diversification (i.e. water and land availability, favorable weather, etc), preferably with identified market.

SYSTEM OF RICE INTENSIFICATION (SRI)

Irrigated lowlands and favorable rainfed areas with existing practitioners or interested farmers to adopt the technology.

AGROECOLOGY-BASED RICE FARMING (AbRF)

Preferably areas that are covered by Small Water Impounding Systems (SWIS), favorable rainfed areas with highland areas that can be subjected to ecological restoration.

Other areas may be considered, provided these are areas that can be planted with or have existing forest or fruit-bearing trees.

HEIRLOOM RICE PRODUCTION

Areas where Heirloom rice is traditionally produced.

*Upland areas are situated in locations that are unbunded, regardless of elevation

*Lowland areas are situated in locations that are bunded, regardless of elevation

*Highland areas are situated in locations with more than 18% slope

This project shall cover from farmer-beneficiaries that are registered under the Registry System for Basic Sectors in Agriculture (RSBSA), encoded in the Farmers and Fisherfol Registry System (FFRS), with the exemption of farmers situated in areas with ancestral domains and/or members of the Indigenous Peoples communities.

Preferably these target beneficiaries are clusters, however, individual farmers can be formed and organized as clusters in the course of project implementation.

Ultimately, priority shall be given to areas that are in high-cost, low-yielding provinces as identified in Philrice study, or in areas that have not been or least in the priority in the provision of regular or conventional interventions under the National Rice Program.

The Department of Agriculture - Regional Field Office (DA-RFO) may implement this activity through either of the two modalities: 1) direct implementation or 2) in partnership with accredited Civil Society Organizations (CSOs)

In direct implementation, DA RFO will perform the activities identified in the succeeding sections of the given guideline. They shall procure the necessary goods and services to be provided to the farmers in the target rice areas for the particular technology that would be scaled. They may also tap the technical expertise of other government agencies, offices, State Universities and Colleges (SUCs), and units as well as individuals who are subject matter experts.

In partnering with CSOs, the DA RFO must select the modality of their engagement either through a Memorandum of Agreement, Procurement, or other schemes that may be identified.

DA-RFOs in collaboration with the partner CSOs and concerned LGUs shall ensure that clusters that will adopt the technologies shall be provided with production support for one (1) cropping season.

A review of implementation will be done after one cropping season (or whenever applicable, may not necessarily apply to agroecology). Based on the results of the review process, the implementing partners together with DA RFO shall provide the necessary support and technical assistance to farmer beneficiaries to ensure sustainability and adoption of technologies.

Further, implementing partners shall organize and cluster the farmer-beneficiaries of this scaling project and the DA RFO shall assist in linking the farmer groups to the rest of the DA programs, including regular NRP support.

Firstly, the General Appropriations Act (GAA) for Fiscal Year 2024, Section 15e, underscores support for the system of rice intensification, indicating a clear financial backing for this initiative, and 15b for the distribution and development of seeds which are optimally adaptive to present and future climate conditions as support for the Agroecology-based Rice Farming (AbRF).

Additionally, Executive Order No. 578 establishes the Policy of the State on Biological Diversity, emphasizing the involvement of the private sector and civil society, which is integral to the National Rice Program's success.

Moreover, Republic Act 10601, specifically Article 1, Section 2a, promotes the adoption of appropriate agricultural and fisheries mechanization technologies to enhance productivity, food security, safety, and ultimately uplift farmers' income. This legislative framework further strengthens the rationale for scaling of rice technologies under the National Rice Program. Lastly, RA 10601, Article IX, Section 34, which addresses contiguous farming, provides a legal basis for the program's strategies to improve agricultural efficiency and sustainability.

The PhilRice shall develop a general Monitoring and Evaluation Framework which will be utilized across all scaling projects. Philrice through the DA RFO will undertake the gathering of the necessary data in coordination with the partner CSOs, Provincial/Municipal/City Agriculturist, and assigned Agricultural Extension Worker and/or Local Farmer Technician (LFT).

The consolidated/generated reports shall be packaged/submitted by PhilRice to the Office of the Undersecretary for Rice Industry Development, copy furnished the Office of the Undersecretary for Operations and Office of the Assistant Secretary for Operations, complete with obeservations and/or recommendations.