PILA, Laguna (PIA) – Laguna's rice farmers will now have a new source of income – and new opportunities for renewable energy – thanks to a Rice Straw Bioenergy Hub (RSBH) that repurposes agricultural waste.
Unveiled in Pila town, the "dayami" (rice straw) hub aims to demonstrate innovative technologies that convert rice straw into usable bioenergy products. It promotes sustainable agricultural practices and supports the government's effort to reduce carbon emissions from the open burning of rice straw, a practice that has long affected air quality and contributed to greenhouse gases.
For Pila Municipal Agriculture and Fishery Council Chairperson Ma. Evita Roqueza. Aside from contributing to a cleaner environment, the bioenergy hub will help provide local farmers with an alternative source of income.
"We already have an integrated farm where we use a composition of rice straw and other organic materials for organic farming. We are blessed to have been provided by the DA (Department of Agriculture) and DSWD (Department of Social Welfare and Development) with a tractor and a composting facility. This hub is an added help for farmers in Pila, Laguna," she stated.
Developed by Straw Innovations, the hub will also serve as a training and learning site where farmers can gain hands-on experience in processing rice straw and adopting renewable energy solutions for their communities.
The project generated support from the Innovate UK, British Embassy Manila, Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA), Aston University, KoolMill, and the province of Laguna.
Meanwhile, farmer Leonardo Lospe Jr. also expressed appreciation to the partners behind the rice straw innovation project, noting how it truly uplifts their community.
He stated, "The Straw Innovation group is not just made up of entrepreneurs; they genuinely help us. We are able to offer our services to fellow farmers at a lower cost. This process of converting rice straw gives us extra income from something that we used to just discard."
For Laguna Third District board member and chairperson for the Committee on Agriculture of the Laguna Provincial Board, Karla Adajar-Lajara, the private sector-led project shares the province's commitment to promoting climate-smart and technology-driven farming.
"This hub is not just a facility. It is also about creating new economic opportunities for our people. That's why it brings together policymakers, innovators, and our farming communities to demonstrate how we can build sustainable, low ambition, profitable, and climate-smart agriculture for our constituents," Adajar said.
She added: "We envision a time when every barangay, every farm, and every community in Laguna will benefit from innovations like this. Where no farmer is left behind."
With this milestone project, Laguna farmers stand at the forefront of a cleaner, greener, and more resilient future, turning what was once discarded as waste into a source of hope and progress for generations to come.