SCIENCE CITY OF MUÑOZ — The Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) continues to advance agricultural education through the Rice Science Museum located inside the institute’s compound in the Science City of Muñoz, Nueva Ecija.
PhilRice Science Research Specialist II Jonathan Cabral said the museum serves as an interactive learning venue that presents the science, culture, history, and technology behind rice farming in the Philippines.
“The Rice Science Museum offers many learning opportunities and was created to share scientific information on rice farming in a creative and interactive way for visitors at PhilRice,” he said.
Cabral emphasized that the Rice Science Museum is vital to Filipino identity, as rice is deeply rooted in the country’s culture, making the facility a repository of knowledge that preserves the history, science, culture, and technology of rice in the Philippines.
“It serves as an alternative source of meaningful information that deepens public understanding of rice culture and helps explain the different technologies used in rice farming,” he highlighted.
He explained that the exhibits include traditional farming tools, rice art mosaics made from different rice grains, miniature farm machines, demonstration farm models, insects affecting rice crops, and seed varieties suited to various ecosystems.
The museum also serves as a platform for showcasing PhilRice-developed technologies, products, and research outputs, allowing visitors to enjoy the exhibits while gaining valuable knowledge on rice science.
Cabral said the Rice Science Museum is open to the public from Monday to Friday, except on holidays, and admission is free, with walk-in visitors accommodated.
For organized group visits, he said an intent letter must be addressed to PhilRice Executive Director John De Leon and must include the group name, preferred date and time of visit, number of participants, areas to be visited, and contact details.
He added that coordination requests may be sent through the official PhilRice email addresses philrice@philrice.gov.ph or philricecommunityrelations@gmail.com, or through the PhilRice contact number 0917 111 7423 for confirmation and inquiries.
Cabral also said PhilRice offers a 360-degree virtual tour of the Rice Science Museum and other learning areas, which can be accessed through 360tour.philrice.gov.ph, featuring Palayamanan, the Rice Engineering and Mechanization Division, drying and cold storage facilities, the gene bank, plant breeding and biotechnology laboratories, rice chemistry and food science laboratories, and agronomy, soils, and physiology laboratories.
Overall, PhilRice and the Rice Science Museum showcase agricultural literacy while promoting interactive learning and innovation in Nueva Ecija and Central Luzon.
