October 16, 2025

The Philippine Rice Research Institute (DA-PhilRice), National Irrigation Administration (NIA), and the Philippine Space Agency (PhilSA) strengthened their collaboration during a Knowledge Sharing and Proposed Partnership Meeting held at the NIA Central Office Command Center on October 15, 2025.

The meeting highlighted the agencies’ shared goal of advancing climate-smart, data-driven agriculture through space technology and research innovations. Discussions focused on flood and rice crop mapping, high-resolution satellite imagery, groundwater and salinity monitoring, and the use of evapotranspiration data to improve irrigation and farm management.

PhilRice also showcased its key projects and digital tools, including PRiSM, CS-MAP, the Data Analytics Center, the PalayCheck App, the Bantay Palay App, and the Alternate Wetting and Drying (AWD) monitoring system, all designed to support water-use efficiency and the nation’s climate commitments.

To advance the partnership, the agencies agreed to develop a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) and Terms of Reference (TOR), formalizing their collaboration toward a more sustainable and resilient agricultural sector.