The Philippines
March 24, 2026
Even with delayed funding, the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (RCEF) sustained large-scale seed distribution and farmer support, reaching tens of thousands of farmers during its 2025–2026 rollout.
RCEF Seed Program reported in the 2025 annual review that 4.42 million bags of certified inbred seeds were distributed during the 2025 wet and 2026 dry seasons, enough to plant hundreds of thousands of hectares and give farmers wider access to high‑yielding, climate‑resilient varieties.
The expanded Binhi e-Padala system further improved program reach, serving 74,000 farmers in the 2025 wet season and 45,000 farmers in the 2026 dry season by reducing bottlenecks and making certified seeds more accessible to smallholders.
Implementers said that technology promotion was also scaled up with 25 PalaySikatan demonstration sites covering 1,250 ha and engaged 1,132 farmer-cooperators, serving as learning areas for modern rice farming practices.
Reports also showed about 2,500 sites across 129 LGUs in 22 provinces had implemented site-specific fertilizer recommendations, helping farmers cut costs on nutrient management.
To accelerate varietal adoption, the Variety Field Trials project established 173 trial sites, showcasing newly released, high-performing rice varieties.
Digital outreach also expanded with the RCEF Seed Facebook page reaching over 5 million users, amplifying farmer-centered content nationwide.
Capacity-building was intensified with four retooling and organizational management training sessions conducted for 120 partner seed growers in collaboration with the Agricultural Training Institute (ATI) and the Bureau of Plant Industry-National Seed Quality Control Services to strengthen seed supply.
Despite the non-release of Fiscal Year 2025 funds, the RCEF Extension Program utilized PhP4.1 million in continuing funds to sustain farmer education. This supported one revised training module, three batches of advanced courses, one specialized training, and 241 knowledge sharing and learning activities.
Partnerships further expanded training reach with 197 participants trained across seven batches of PalayCheck farmer field school and advanced courses for ATI Leads and RCEF facilitators. Of the five PalayCheck farmer field school batches, three were aligned with the RISE Visayas Project, converging RCEF programs and PalaySikatan sites.
To recognize outstanding contributions, awards were given to cooperatives and PhilRice stations. The Seed Growers Multi-Purpose Cooperative Inc. in Ilocos Norte and Bohol Farmers Multi-Purpose Cooperative received citations for seed distribution excellence. PhilRice stations in Batac, Central Experiment Station, Midsayap, and Negros in 2026 were cited for delivering services and technologies to farmers.
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