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| Dr. Eufemio T. Rasco, Jr |
In more than three years as PhilRice executive director, Dr. Eufemio T.
Rasco, Jr. has stood with his conviction to swing rice R&D direction from
the rice crop to the rice farmer.
“When
you focus on the rice farmer, you begin to realize that the rice environment is
not only about rice. There are many things you can do in the rice environment with
the rice farmers so that you can extricate them from poverty,” Dr. Rasco said.
During
the turnover ceremony of PhilRice leadership, 3 February, Dr. Rasco reiterated
the need to start using the rice farming environment as the unit of
productivity analysis instead of the rice plant.
Dr.
Rasco retired from government service as he turned 65 on 2 February 2015.
DA
Assistant Secretary for Field Operations and Director of the National Rice and
Corn Programs Edilberto M. De Luna assumed post as PhilRice officer-in-charge
effective 3 February. The search for the
new executive director is ongoing.
Summing
up his term, Dr. Rasco said “PhilRice is probably the easiest organization to
manage. With the dedicated and professional manpower you have here, it can run
on auto-pilot and not crash.”
Dr.
Rasco urged PhilRice staff members to pursue “the change that we have trodden
together”—to continue advocating for agriculture-based biosystems in the rice
farm.
Dr. Rasco and research at PhilRice
Dr. Rasco dedicated almost 4 decades of his career to public
service.
During
his stint as executive director, Dr. Rasco envisioned to transform rural
communities into more productive and sustainable agri-business enterprises. He
has always believed in exploring the potentials of the rice lands to augment
rice farming income.
He
institutionalized five new R&D programs to address the current and future
challenges in the rice sector. These are: Coping with climate change,
High-value products from rice and its environment, Farming without fossil
energy, Intensified rice-based agri-bio systems, and FutureRice. Each is geared
toward a self-sufficient, sustainable, and competitive rice economy.
To
operationalize these programs, Dr. Rasco led the creation of various centers
that would help develop appropriate technologies for rice-based ecosystem. The
Applied Biology Center for the Rice Environment aims to increase outputs and
reduce inputs in rice farming and rice-based enterprises through applied
biology.
Dr.
Rasco also supported research studies on other sources of energy such as
bioethanol and hybrid energy (e.g. wind/solar, biomass/solar) to develop an
energy system for rice-based agriculture that is renewable, decentralized, and
diversified.
“To
him, farming without fossil energy is the scientific description for what is
commonly called but misunderstood organic agriculture,” said PhilRice Deputy
Executive Director for Research Dr. Manuel Jose C. Regalado.
Recognizing
seeds as a critical input, Dr. Rasco also established the Genetics Resources
Division to facilitate seed transfer and germplasm exchange. The Seed
Technology Division, on the other hand, was established to ensure high seed
quality of the newly-released rice varieties through compact demonstration.
Dr. Rasco and development at
PhilRice
Dr. Rasco strengthened the promotion and adoption of research
outputs through development programs. He conceptualized the Palayabangan 10-5
challenge to fast-track the search for technology that can increase production
to 10t/ha at a cost of Php5/kg.
His
term also birthed the National Year of Rice in 2013 to engage the public in the
country’s bid for rice self-sufficiency.
As
a follow through, Dr. Rasco advocated the Gusto Namin Milyonaryo Kayo campaign
to push for rural transformation rather than mere technology transmission. He
also supported youth engagement in agriculture through the Infomediary
Campaign.
“PhilRice
has three treasures [according to Dr. Rasco]: people, germplasm, and
information. From these, rice R&D should eventually help rice-based farmers
become rich,” Regalado said.
Organizational management
PhilRice also changed its organizational structure with the separation
of research and development but with a continuum of functions. Dr. Rasco calls
it RDDD or research, development, demonstration, and deployment.
“Research
and development is done by our research arm while demonstration and deployment
is done by the development group. We develop new technologies and create a show
window of these technologies,” Dr. Rasco explained.
Dr.
Rasco’s initiative to revamp the qualification and performance standards of
PhilRice staff members led to a 700% increase in publication and various awards
from 2011 to 2014.
He
also redefined the mandate of the branch stations to serve as technology
development centers or nuclei to facilitate technology deployment and services
to surrounding communities.
Dr.
Eduardo Jimmy P. Quilang, PhilRice deputy executive director for Development,
described Dr. Rasco as a transformative, visionary, and innovative leader.
“He
has been a very good mentor; although he does it subtly. You will just realize
he has already taught you the ways to efficiently do your job,” Dr. Quilang
said.
Pres.
Benigno Aquino III appointed Dr. Rasco as the fourth executive director of
PhilRice on 14 July 2011 in his concurrent capacity as professor in UP Mindanao.
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