DOST, IRRI renew rice research partnership on emerging technologies

By Francis Allan L. Angelo

TAGUIG CITY, Philippines — The Department of Science and Technology and the International Rice Research Institute signed a new memorandum of understanding on Sept. 7, 2026, formalizing another partnership aimed at advancing agriculture, nutrition, and food security through emerging technologies and innovation.

The agreement is significant for consumers and farmers because rice remains central to Philippine food security, while climate pressures, production constraints, and nutritional needs are increasing the importance of scientific tools that can help develop more productive and resilient varieties.

The renewed partnership seeks to translate specialized research into technologies, planning tools, and agricultural applications that can eventually reach farming communities and strengthen the country’s ability to produce food under changing environmental conditions.

DOST and IRRI said the agreement will expand cooperation in rice genomics, bioinformatics web tools for omics research, high-performance computing, science cloud services, research infrastructure, grain quality, nutrition for healthy diets, and other rice research areas.

The two institutions also expect to pursue joint research projects, knowledge exchange, technological resource sharing, capacity building, and the development of information and educational materials.

The new MOU builds on an earlier five-year agreement between DOST and IRRI that produced collaborative research initiatives involving advanced computing and rice science.

One initiative involved sequencing 3,024 rice varieties with support from DOST’s Computing and Archiving Research Environment, or COARE, and the Philippine Research, Education and Government Information Network, or PREGINET.

Researchers also studied the grain quality and drought tolerance of those rice varieties as part of efforts to advance rice science and address food security concerns.

Under the current agreement, DOST and IRRI plan to continue studying rice varieties and work on climate-smart adaptation planning tools.

The partnership will also pursue biotechnology applications for rice varieties that are high-yielding, nutritious, and climate resilient.

Science and Technology Secretary Renato U. Solidum Jr. said the collaboration should ultimately produce practical benefits beyond research institutions.

“Our areas of collaboration are highly technical and expertise-focused. Our greatest mission is not just to arrive at our research results but also to communicate them effectively to our different stakeholders. Staying true to our mantra ‘OneDOST4U: solutions and opportunities for all’, we hope to champion transforming our knowledge and findings into technologies and innovative practical solutions that address real-life challenges. We hope to significantly help in the improvement of Filipino lives by having our innovations reach the grassroots.”

IRRI Director General Yvonne Pinto said the renewed partnership would align advanced scientific work with Philippine agricultural priorities.

“Our renewed partnership with DOST reflects IRRI’s commitment to demand-driven, impact-oriented research. Working hand-in-hand with DOST allows us to combine global cutting-edge science, from genomics to digital tools, with the country’s agricultural priorities. As framed in our 2025-2030 Strategy, we are not just driving innovation but ensuring it delivers lasting value to our Philippine partners and the communities that they serve”, Pinto said.

The agreement comes as agricultural research institutions increasingly use genomics, digital technologies, and high-performance computing to identify useful crop traits more quickly and support breeding programs designed for changing production environments.

For rice-growing communities, these tools can help researchers assess traits such as drought tolerance, grain quality, and yield potential across large collections of rice varieties.

The DOST–IRRI partnership is also intended to strengthen research capacity by giving scientists access to shared technological resources, computing platforms, expertise, and research infrastructure.

DOST and IRRI said the renewed cooperation would support their common objectives of improving nutrition and food security, promoting sustainable agricultural production, and strengthening resilience.

The institutions plan to pursue those objectives through research collaboration, information and educational materials, technological resource sharing, knowledge exchange, and related initiatives.