LOS BAÑOS, Philippines — The Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) has been advocating for tougher policy support for direct-seeded rice (DSR) technology.
With this, SEARCA, together with Bayer CropScience (BCS) Philippines and the Philippines Partnership for Sustainable Agriculture (PPSA) gathered earlier this month leaders from government, academe, industry and farming communities, highlighting DSR as a "crucial strategy for making the country's rice production more sustainable and resilient to climate change."
According to SEARCA, the event marks a significant step toward mainstreaming DSR and strengthening multisector collaboration to address the complex challenges of food security and climate change, addressed the critical challenges facing the Philippine rice sector, including labor shortages, rising production costs, and the urgent need to reduce greenhouse gas or GHG emissions and water consumption.
"The DSR system is a promising innovation to reduce production costs, improve water efficiency, lower greenhouse gas emissions, and enhance farmer livelihoods," said SEARCA Deputy Director for Programs Nur Azura binti Adam.
While traditional transplanted rice is highly labor and water-intensive, accounting for nearly 50 percent of production costs, DSR offers a climate-smart alternative that can reduce water use by up to 40 percent, cut GHG emissions by 45 percent, and lower labor costs by half.
Speaking on behalf of Nisha Sharma of BCS, Public Affairs Head Cyrus Isles said, "This is not just a technique but a solution. It's not just about growing more, it's about growing better with less impact, more resilience, and greater value for every Filipino."
While direct seeding is already used in nearly half of the country's rice areas, its full potential remains untapped, Deputy Director Ralph Alan Ceniza of the Philippine Department of Agriculture (DA) emphasized the importance of bridging the gap between traditional methods and sustainable technologies.
"We must bridge the gap between traditional methods and sustainable technologies by engaging farmers, building capacity, and providing economic benefits," Ceniza said.
Leading experts, including John De Leon of the DA-Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) and Virender Kumar from the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) shared insights and successful implementation models from Asia.
Christian Lexcher Cainglet, a Tarlac-based farmer, shared his first-hand experience, calling DSR a matter of "survival" due to its ability to save labor, cut costs, and adapt to climate extremes.
In a World Café session, stakeholders collaborated to identify key barriers to DSR adoption and develop concrete policy recommendations which included site-specific technology packaging, sustained funding for research and development, and the creation of a comprehensive DSR Development Plan.
There were also field demonstrations of innovative technologies, such as mechanized and drone-assisted sowing, reinforcing the theme of "planting smarter."
Gerlie Tatlonghari, SEARCA program head for Research and Thought Leadership, emphasized that the future of DSR in the Philippines is bright.
"Let us champion it not just as a technical shift, but as a strategic move toward transforming Philippine agriculture into a more sustainable, resilient, and empowering sector," Tatlonghari said.