LOS BANOS, Laguna -- As five Southeast Asian nations pool their resources to address the high price of rice, the Philippines on the other hand is seeking to move towards self-sufficiency by improving rice production, using the latest rice technology, and tapping more farm lands, the government said Friday.

Burma, Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, and Vietnam agreed in principle Wednesday to form a cartel to be known as the Organization of Rice Exporting Countries (OREC) that would manage rice price-fixing.

In ceremonies at the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) here Friday, President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo received a copy of the master plan, "Focusing on Increasing Provincial Productivity," from Agriculture Secretary Arthur Yap who said that the aim of the program would be to achieve self-sufficiency by 2010.

He said the new plan was "unique" in four areas -- scope, program management, advances in current rice technology, and funding commitment.

In partnership with IRRI, Yap said the government would target to harvest five tons per hectare starting in the wet season this year.

During the visit, Arroyo walked along a strip of rice fields to see the high-yield variety.

She then witnessed the signing of the Memorandum of Agreement between the Department of Agriculture and the International Rice Research Institute to support improvement of rice production starting this 2008 wet season. Camille Diola, Contributor