The Philippines
August 18, 2025
The Department of Agriculture–Philippine Rice Research Institute (DA-PhilRice) has delivered more than 2.5 million bags (20kg/bag) of certified inbred seeds for the 2025 wet season, with a delivery timeliness rate of 94%. From March to July this year, the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (RCEF) Seed Program completed 3,339 out of 3,569 scheduled drop-offs on time.
PhilRice RCEF Program Management Office Director Dr. Flordeliza H. Bordey explained that the timeliness rate reflects the share of deliveries made on or before the exact date requested by local government units, ensuring that seeds arrived in line with farmers’ planting schedules.
“The significant increase in timeliness rate was due to the sufficient inventory of seeds for the early planters of the wet season and the improvement in the operations of the program’s seed monitoring system,” she said.
Data from the Rice Seed Monitoring System (RSMS) also show that over one million farmers in 1,368 cities and municipalities across 78 provinces benefited from the distribution, which covered about 1.06 million hectares. This accomplishment is equivalent to more than 100% of the program’s target for the 2025 wet season.
The program also implemented targeted measures to keep the seed deliveries on track in areas affected by route closures, while logistical adjustments and close coordination with LGUs addressed delays during the election season. The RCEF Seed Program’s complementation with the Department of Agriculture National Rice Program also proved instrumental in maintaining uninterrupted rice production support across the country.
The Philippine Statistics Authority documented a record-high rice harvest during the first semester of 2025 with 9.08 million tons – against 8.53 million tons year-on-year. Program implementers believe that the timely delivery of high-quality seeds remains a key factor in boosting farm productivity.
With the increased budget as provided by RA 12078, the program expanded its reach from 57 to 78 provinces, helping more farmers by meeting the demand for certified seeds suited for different cropping environments. Hence, to ensure better services and continuous timely delivery of seeds to farmers, the program has conducted a midyear review on August 12-13, 2025. Regional coordinators presented updates and recommendations to address location-specific challenges to ensure that farmers receive quality seeds suited to their needs and planting schedules.
“Hiraya manawari, or may our shared aspiration for the farmers be fulfilled. In their journey toward their goals, we hope that RCEF and PhilRice will remain their steadfast partners,” Bordey said during the review.
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