04/09/2026
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The climate-resilient, agro-industry-oriented value chain analysis (I-VCA) for heirloom rice in CAR moved closer to completion following the validation of key findings by industry stakeholders during a consultation held on August 27, 2026, in Banaue, Ifugao.
Spearheaded by the Department of AgricultureβPhilippine Rural Development Project (DA-PRDP) Regional Project Coordination Office (RPCO) CAR through its I-PLAN Component, the consultation brought together heirloom rice farmers, farmersβ cooperatives and associations, and provincial and municipal agri-fishery council (P/MAFC) representatives from across the region, as well as representatives from concerned provincial and municipal local government units (LGUs) in Ifugao and Mountain Province.
While the consultation primarily aimed to validate the findings of the I-VCA, which assessed the current state of the heirloom rice industry, RPCO CAR I-PLAN Component Head Dr. Susan D. Balanza emphasized that the activity also marks an initial step toward the formulation of the Cordillera Heirloom Rice Roadmap.
βAll proposed interventions and projects must be grounded in evidence and directly address identified value chain bottlenecks,β Dr. Balanza said, urging participants to prioritize key constraints and interventions while identifying potential institutional partners and support mechanisms to address them.
Balanza presented the I-VCA report, highlighting key areas requiring stakeholder validation, including the value chain map, geographical flow, market structure, and cost and return analysis, among others.
She emphasized that the I-VCA serves as the foundation for developing a comprehensive roadmap that will provide a shared direction for the protection, promotion, and sustainability of heirloom rice across the region.
βThe I-VCA allows us to look at the industry as a system, where a weakness in one part directly impacts the rest. Consequently, the Roadmap must address the value chain as a fully interconnected system to achieve sustainable development,β she added.
Prior to the workshop activities, major constraints and proposed interventions across the different stages of the value chain were presented. These included the rehabilitation of irrigation and rice terrace infrastructure; deployment of terrain-adapted micro-machineries; establishment of community seed banks and municipal processing hubs; standardization of premium pricing; strengthening of quality standards; and provision of credit and insurance, among others.
Through the workshop, participants identified and prioritized key constraints and strategic interventions and assessed their alignment with potential implementing agencies and available support mechanisms. Their inputs and the workshop results will be consolidated into the updated regional Heirloom Rice I-VCA, which will serve as a key reference in developing the industry roadmap.
βThis roadmap will eventually serve as a foundational guide for funding agencies to target key interventions,β said Planning Specialist Ramon G. Bag-eo.
Bag-eo thanked the participants for their active engagement and encouraged them to sustain the same level of participation and commitment in succeeding consultations and workshops for the development of the Cordillera Heirloom Rice Roadmap. # # # Elvy T. Estacio (RPCO CAR InfoACE) with notes from Sheila W. Faycan (RPCO CAR I-PLAN)
