PhilRice has new deputies

Dr. Eufemio T. Rasco Jr, executive director of PhilRice, appointed three deputy executive directors (DEDs), all engineers, who will help lead the attainment of the Institute’s goals and objectives.

Dr. Caesar Joventino M. Tado was appointed acting DED for administration. Drs. Manuel Jose Regalado and Eduardo Jimmy P. Quilang were appointed deputies for research and development, respectively.

Tado, a two-time service awardee of the Philippine Society of Agricultural Engineers and patented a seed cleaner model, pioneered the creation of PhilRice’s Rice Engineering and Mechanization Center in 2009. Under his watch as branch manager in PhilRice Agusan, an 8-ha riceland adjacent to the station was acquired. He was a recipient of a number of scholarship grants such as the German Government Scholarship. He was also a researcher authoring and co-authoring more than 30 papers featured in journals and conferences.


Meanwhile, Regalado, a conferred Scientist I in 2009 by the Philippine Scientific Career System, was a former program leader of the Knowledge Management and Promotion Program and division head of the Rice Engineering and Mechanization Division for five years.


His research and projects on renewable energy, farm machine development, and windmill-pump system were recognized in local and international scientific journals and award giving-bodies. Regalado was also awarded as Outstanding Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) Alumnus for Technology in the Agriculture category.


On the other hand, Quilang, who led his team to winning the Best Research and Development Division Award during his term as division head of the Agronomy, Soils, Plant Physiology Division, is concurrently the director of PhilRice’s Climate Change Center.


Quilang was also cited and recognized for his research on rice-based farming systems, water management, weather and climate, and geographic information system and remote sensing.


As DEDs, the engineers are expected to oversee and direct the major and supporting divisions under their respective programs to help the country attain rice self-sufficiency in 2013.

DA-PhilRice is a government-owned and –controlled corporation that aims at developing high-yielding, cost-reducing, and environment-friendly technologies so farmers can produce enough rice for all Filipinos. PhilRice