The Philippines and the Republic of Korea continue to strengthen their partnership in advancing the country’s rice sector through sustained Official Development Assistance (ODA) cooperation during the Workshop on Project Achievements and Future Directions for Enhancing the Rice Supply Chain in the Philippines.
The workshop was hosted by the Global Agriculture Policy Institute (GAPI), the Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice), and the National Food Authority (NFA), and organized by Orient Integrated Development Consultants, Inc. (OIDCI) with support from the Department of Agriculture (DA) and the Korea Rural Community Corporation (KRC). It brought together representatives from the DA, PhilRice, NFA, and development partners to assess the achievements of the Korea ODA project and discuss future collaboration.
The workshop showcased the accomplishments of the Korea ODA project, Improving the Rice Supply Chain to Ensure Quality of Seeds and Milled Rice for Distribution and Buffer Stocks in the Philippines. The initiative led to the establishment of modern rice seed processing facilities and cold-storage seed warehouses at PhilRice stations in Muñoz, Nueva Ecija; San Mateo, Isabela; and Batac, Ilocos Norte. It also strengthened seed and buffer stock management through capacity-building initiatives and the development of information systems.
In his keynote message, DA Undersecretary for Rice Industry Development Engr. Christopher V. Morales, CESO II, lauded the Korea ODA initiative as a partnership founded on trust, shared learning, and a common commitment to food security.
“Beyond developing infrastructure, the project strengthened seed systems, postharvest facilities, information management, and institutional capacities, complementing the government’s initiatives under the Masagana Rice Industry Development Program through the National Rice Program and the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (RCEF),” Usec. Morales said.
USec. Morales added that the project’s lasting legacy lies in sustained knowledge sharing and continued Philippines–Korea cooperation, including the proposed Digital Agriculture Transformation through Enhanced Technology (DA-TECH) initiative.
Meanwhile, GAPI President and Project Manager Dr. Byung Ki Lee emphasized that the workshop demonstrated the longstanding partnership between the Republic of Korea and the Philippines in advancing agricultural innovation, enhancing food security, and strengthening institutional capacity. He highlighted the importance of bilateral cooperation in addressing challenges in the rice supply chain while laying the groundwork for deeper agricultural collaboration between the two countries.
The workshop featured technical presentations from from GAPI’s Jiwan Yoon on the project’s implementation experiences, OIDCI President and CEO Herman Ongkiko on its key outcomes and achievements, and PhilRice Deputy Executive Director Eduardo Jimmy Quilang on the proposed DA-TECH follow-up initiative. The event concluded with a panel discussion among representatives from the DA, PhilRice, the KOPIA Philippines Center, and OIDCI, highlighting their continued commitment to sustaining the progress achieved through Korea–Philippines agricultural cooperation.
