ARTICLE SERVICES            Reprint this article     Print this article       Send as an e-mail     Send Feedback       Comment on this article on our Vox Populi blog     RELATED STORIES   DA looking for lands for rice cultivation Bush seeks $770 million to face food crisis No rice was stolen, 92 sacks were empty — DepEd official GALLERY 1 Next   Zoom    Agriculture Secretary Arthur Yap presents President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo with a copy of the master plan, “Focusing on Increasing Provincial Productivity” that seeks to make the Philippines self-sufficient by 2010. Photo taken by Camille Diola/INQUIRER.NET Contributor USDA sees record world food crops easing crisis Mining also cause of rice problem Embarrassing representative to ICJ DA embarks on massive rice seeds production Defense chief seeks P542M for pension payments Consumer group backs probe of Napocor ‘Butchoy’ moves away from RP Meralco passed on $148M in unused gas to consumers -- GSIS Metro Manila posts highest dengue incidence this year Doctors' group pushes Women's Reproductive Health Care Day Oil firms decide week not complete without price hike Senator asks ASEAN to help break Myanmar aid impasse Dengue cases up by 34% -- health department CA ready to confirm Enrile’s spouse, other envoys -- solon More Stories » News Call centers urged to follow occupational safety guidelines A letter from Luli Arroyo Meralco passed on $148M in unused gas to consumers -- GSIS Morph Labs offers Web-based Java developer tool (UPDATE) ERC: Napocor over-recovered P10B in costs Panlilio insists on anti-jueteng police chief Sen. Madrigal says she's fighting for her aunt's foundation PLDT wireless broadband subscribers surpass DSL subscribers Why electric bills are high RP has highest percentage of social network users -- study News Probe billion-peso Meralco deals--GSIS Two Manila City Hall employees caught extorting money Ex-Mandaue college head arrested for alleged slay plot Misuari pushes for creation of four federal states Defense chief seeks P542M for pension payments Meralco passed on $148M in unused gas to consumers -- GSIS A letter from Luli Arroyo Metro faces new garbage problem Arroyo's interest in smuggled shipment Diesel spills on QC avenue as tanker overturns ‘Butchoy’ moves away from RP Three die in Malabon fire   News Most Read RSS Hottest Tags rice problem Food Agriculture WHAT'S THIS?                 More >>

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

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• DA looking for lands for rice cultivation
• Bush seeks $770 million to face food crisis
• No rice was stolen, 92 sacks were empty — DepEd official

• Defense chief seeks P542M for pension payments
• Consumer group backs probe of Napocor
• ‘Butchoy’ moves away from RP
• Meralco passed on $148M in unused gas to consumers -- GSIS
• Metro Manila posts highest dengue incidence this year
• Doctors' group pushes Women's Reproductive Health Care Day
• Oil firms decide week not complete without price hike
• Senator asks ASEAN to help break Myanmar aid impasse
• Dengue cases up by 34% -- health department
• CA ready to confirm Enrile’s spouse, other envoys -- solon
• Piston pushing through with transport strike Monday
• Reyes: RP should prepare for even much higher fuel prices
• (UPDATE) Jail call for parents who keep children from school
• Sen. Madrigal says she's fighting for her aunt's foundation
• DA embarks on massive rice seeds production