By Kenneth Marcos 
Inside the cool, white-walled laboratories of the Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice), workers in lab coats gathered around advanced equipment, eager to learn. For them, precision and accuracy are not just technical skills — they are vital tools in improving the lives of Filipino farmers.
To strengthen the skills and technical know-how of its laboratory workforce, PhilRice recently conducted a comprehensive training program on laboratory equipment operation, troubleshooting, and maintenance. The activity aimed to ensure that laboratory personnel across the country can perform their duties with efficiency, accuracy, and adherence to international quality standards.
Experts from well-known laboratory equipment companies were invited to lead the sessions, providing hands-on demonstrations on the proper use, calibration, and care of specialized machines. Participants also engaged in troubleshooting exercises to learn how to quickly resolve technical issues and minimize downtime during experiments and analyses.
Beyond technical lessons, the training also deepened participants’ understanding of the ISO/IEC 17025 international standard, which defines the global requirements for laboratory competence and testing quality. To reinforce learning, participants visited two accredited laboratories — the Department of Agriculture-Food Development Center (DA-FDC) and the Department of Science and Technology-Philippine Textile Research Institute (DOST-PTRI) — where they observed how ISO-certified systems are applied in daily laboratory operations.
The ISO/IEC 17025 certification ensures that laboratories produce accurate, reliable, and scientifically sound results. For agricultural research institutions like PhilRice, compliance with this global standard strengthens the credibility of their findings — from soil and seed analysis to the development of new rice varieties and pest management solutions.
Among those who joined the training were laboratory key personnel and managers from PhilRice’s Central Experiment Station and several branch stations nationwide. The program forms part of PhilRice’s continuous effort to upgrade its facilities and workforce as part of the government’s drive toward a Masaganang Bagong Pilipinas, where innovation and science play a key role in food security.
PhilRice officials said the initiative will help ensure that laboratory operations meet both local and international standards, paving the way for more advanced research that directly benefits Filipino farmers. By improving the accuracy and reliability of agricultural data, the institute hopes to support better decision-making in rice production and technology development.
Through trainings like this, PhilRice continues to invest in people — empowering its scientists and technicians to deliver world-class service that helps make rice farming more sustainable, efficient, and competitive.
Pwersa Balita – Your Trusted Source in Agri News