DOST and IRRI Renew Their Partnership on Agricultural Technologies in the Philippines

The Department of Science and Technology (DOST) of the Philippines and the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) have renewed their long-standing collaboration on emerging technologies and innovations in the fields of agriculture, nutrition and food security. A new Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the two organisations was signed on 7 September.

Under the agreement, DOST and IRRI aim to further strengthen scientific research and technology development efforts in line with the Philippines’ agricultural priorities. The new collaboration is planned to focus specifically on research aimed at improving productivity, nutritional value and climate change resilience in rice production.

The new phase of collaboration between the two organisations will encompass rice genomics, bioinformatics, high-performance computing, grain quality and nutrition, climate-smart adaptation tools, and biotechnology applications. The scientific and technological solutions developed in these areas are intended to contribute to the development of high-yielding, nutritious and climate-resilient rice varieties.

The new agreement between DOST and IRRI serves as a continuation of the previous five-year joint collaboration. During the previous partnership period, work was carried out on the sequencing of 3,024 rice varieties in the Philippines. This work contributed to a more detailed examination of rice genetic resources and the establishment of a comprehensive genetic data infrastructure for future research.

IRRI Director-General Dr Yvonne Pinto noted that the renewed partnership reflects IRRI’s research approach, which is demand-driven and aimed at creating tangible impact. Pinto stated that working alongside DOST enables the integration of advanced scientific capabilities on a global scale—ranging from genomics to digital tools—with the Philippines’ agricultural priorities.

Under the new MOU, the two organisations are expected to support not only research into rice production but also broader issues such as food security and nutrition. In particular, it is planned to address advanced research areas such as genomics and biotechnology in conjunction with the development of new tools to counter the effects of climate change on agricultural production.

This renewed collaboration establishes a new framework for continuing efforts to advance scientific research, data analysis and the use of advanced technologies in the Philippines’ rice sector.