IRRI Community Relations and Partnerships

27/03/2026

In celebration of Women’s Month, the IRRI Community Relations and Partnerships Office (CRPO) and the IRRI Employees Credit and Development Cooperative (ECDC), in partnership with the Municipal Government of Bay, conducted a seminar on financial literacy for Bay municipal employees on March 23.

More than 40 Bay employees attended this seminar, which was presented by Ms. Geena Laserna of the International Marketing Group. In her presentation, “Sweldo with a Purpose,” Ms. Laserna gave a practical guide on how to manage money wisely and tips on how to build a solid financial foundation. She also encouraged the attendees to join the IPON Challenge to develop the habit of saving.

The Vice Mayor of Bay, Hon. Michael Punzalan, also attended the seminar and inspired the Bay employees to take the seminar seriously, especially in the face of many economic disruptions and uncertainties.

This seminar was made possible through funds from the IRRI ECDC.

06/03/2026

The International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) was recognized by the Department of Education (DepEd) Region 4-A Maahas Elementary School (MES) as one of its outstanding stakeholders during their 3rd Gawad Parangal held on February 27, 2026 at the MES campus in Maahas, Los Baños, Laguna. This year’s theme was “Puso Para sa Edukasyon: Celebrating Hearts that Serve.”

This award was given as a testament to IRRI’s important contribution to the improvement of quality education. The school outreach project conducted by IRRI in MES in 2025 was through collaborative efforts of institute-based organizations – SINOP, the IRRI Employees Credit and Development Cooperative (ECDC), and the IRRI Community Relations and Partnerships Office (CRPO).

Receiving the award, on behalf of IRRI, was Jun Correa of CRPO and Ellanie Cabrera of SIRS/SINOP.

Other awardees include the Municipal Government of Los Baños, University of the Philippines Los Baños, Bureau of Plant Industry, Makiling Forestry Multipurpose Cooperative, and other Los Baños-based groups and individuals who have helped MES in 2025.

03/12/2025

🏀 IRRI Basketball Invitational Cup – Season 5 opened successfully! 🎉

On November 19, 2025, the IRRI Basketball Invitational Cup – Season 5 officially opened at the IRRI Court! The event was a wonderful celebration of teamwork, camaraderie, and partnership among our member agencies.

We were thrilled to welcome the following participating teams:

IRRI Teams
SEARCA
DOST–FPRDI
Ecosystems and Research Development Bureau (ERDB)
UPLB University Police Force
LGU–Los Baños
Dairy Training and Research Institute (DTRI)
Laguna Prime Multipurpose Cooperative (LPMC)
Seed Works
Los Baños Doctors Hospital (LBDH)
UPLB College of Forestry and Natural Resources (CFNR)

A heartfelt thank you to all our partners, guests, and organizers:

Ms. Carla Lazarte, Head of Human Resources & Organizational Development, for her warm opening remarks welcoming everyone and emphasizing teamwork, community partnership, and camaraderie

LGU–Los Baños – Hon. Vice Mayor Marlo PJ Alipon

Community Relations and Partnerships Office – for organizing this collaborative event

Commissioner Jerry Garcia – for overseeing logistics and preparations

Dr. Junel Soriano, Deputy Director General, Philippine Representative Office – for championing this tradition of friendly competition

Beyond basketball, the opening highlighted our shared commitment to collaboration, mutual respect, and community spirit.

Congratulations to everyone who contributed to making the opening a resounding success! Here’s to an exciting Season 5 filled with fun, teamwork, and sportsmanship. 🏀✨

28/11/2025

27/11/2025

IRRI Joins DA in Celebrating National Rice Awareness Month

On November 24, 2025, IRRI joined the week-long celebration of the National Rice Awareness Month at the DA Headquarters in Quezon City. With the theme: Be Riceponsible, this event focused on promoting the following messages:

Mix rice with other staples such as adlai, corn, and saba;
Eat brown or unpolished rice;
Avoid wasting rice;
Support locally produced rice.

During the activity, IRRI highlighted its latest advancements in rice science-particularly its work on nutritionally improved and healthier rice options, including low-GI (Glycemic Index) rice varieties, stress-tolerant varieties, and innovations that support sustainable rice production.

Through its participation, IRRI reinforced its commitment to helping Filipino rice farmers and consumers become more informed about rice, while supporting the DA’s campaign on boosting awareness of rice’s value, diversity, and the technologies that shape its future.

17/11/2025

17/11/2025

The SINoP Bazaar, held last November 12–14, 2025 at the IRRI Breezeway at Harrar Hall, successfully brought together local SMEs, IRRI staff, partner agencies, and the Los Baños community for three days of food, crafts, and local products.

The event aimed to:

🛍️ Support and promote local SMEs by giving them a platform to showcase their products
🤝 Raise funds for SINoP’s community engagement activities

The Bazaar opened with a ribbon-cutting ceremony led by:

✨ Dr. Junel Soriano, IRRI Deputy Director General & Philippines Representative
✨ Ms. Miriam Telosa, Former SINoP President & Former IRRI Finance Asst. Manager
✨ Ms. Gina Zarsadias, SINoP Board Member & Fomer SINoP President

Special recognition goes to SINoP Vice President, Ms. Ellanie Cabrera, whose leadership and hands-on guidance played a key role in steering the event to success.

Thank you to all vendors, staff, and partners who participated and supported this event. See you in the next one! 💚✨

28/10/2025

Just celebrated World Run Day at IRRI!

IRRI is proud to have supported the Los Baños Science Community Foundation, Inc. (LBSCFI) in organizing the SyenSaya: Hakbang Para sa Agham – Year 3 held at the IRRI-UPOU Scenic Grounds!

The event gathered more than 550 runners across the 3K, 5K, and 10K categories, bringing together local and international agencies of the Los Baños Science Community Foundation, Inc. (LBSCFI) under the leadership of UPLB Chancellor Dr. Jose V. Camacho Jr. It also coincided with World Run Day on October 26, 2025.

Beyond the kilometers covered, the fun run raised funds for LBSCFI’s science-based community programs and projects, promoting collaboration, volunteerism, and shared commitment to science, wellness, and sustainability.

This year’s project implementation was made together with LBSCFI Ways and Means Committee member institutions including Land Bank of the Philippines (UPLB Branch), the Local Government Unit of Los Baños, Laguna Water District, and Laguna State Polytechnic University – Los Baños Campus. IRRI is the current head of the LBSCFI Ways and Means Committee.

Heartfelt thanks to our partner agencies, sponsors, volunteers, photographers, and participants, and special appreciation to our hosts: University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB) and the Municipality of Los Baños for making this celebration of science and community truly meaningful.

27/10/2025

The Drones4Rice Project enters its second year in the Philippines!

Building on its successful first year of establishing protocols for scaling drone technologies in rice farming, IRRI, the Department of Agriculture - Philippines (DA), and the Philippine Rice Research Institute (DA-PhilRice) are now gearing up for the project’s second phase.

This year, the team will refine fertilizer and pesticide application guidelines, expand pilot testing with DA partners, and strengthen capacity-building for local implementers, a step to advance the country’s vision for a modernized and digitalized agriculture sector.

Read more: https://bit.ly/4qsggub

20/10/2025

07/10/2025

Last October 5, 2025, the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) proudly joined the University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB) in celebrating its 107th Loyalty Day and Alumni Homecoming with the theme:
“UPLB Alumni: A Force for Transforming Communities.”

The IRRI contingent was led by Dr. Junel Soriano, Deputy Director General - Philippines Representative, together with staff from various IRRI units, marching in solidarity with the UPLB community.

This annual celebration honors the historic moment on October 10, 1918, when 193 students and 27 faculty members of the then UP College of Agriculture (UPCA) volunteered to serve in the Philippine National Guard during World War I - an act of patriotism that embodies the true spirit of loyalty, service, and community.

As a long-time partner of UPLB and a proud member of the Los Baños Science Community, IRRI is honored to walk alongside fellow institutions, alumni, and friends in recognizing the collective strength of science, education, and public service in transforming communities for a better tomorrow.