The Philippines
May 7, 2026
High-zinc rice grown by farmers in Pila, Laguna will soon be used in children’s feeding program, signaling the start of a wider initiative linking rice farming to nutrition efforts in seven provinces.
The project partnership, “Stronger Together: United for Children’s Nutrition, Mental Health, and Education,” marked its first high-zinc rice harvest in Laguna, May 5, through the harvesting of NSIC Rc 648, attended by nearly 200 farmers, local officials, and members of the Kiwanis International Philippine Luzon District.
As part of the initiative led by Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice), Kiwanis will purchase the harvested palay, have it milled and use the rice for a 90-day feeding program targeting children at nutritional risk in the province.
Similar harvesting activities are also being prepared in Cavite, Pangasinan, Quezon, Palawan, Sorsogon, and Camarine Norte, where harvested high-zinc rice will likewise support feeding programs. Around 1,500 children across participating sites are projected to benefit.
Kiwanis Governor Stachys Neil E. Espino said the partnership strengthens efforts to address malnutrition in communities.
“The goal is not only to harvest rice, but to make sure the harvest reaches children who need better nutrition,” Espino said.
PhilRice Los Baños Station Director Dr. Rhemilyn Z. Relado-Sevilla said the initiative reflects the Institute’s broader direction of integrating nutrition into rice research and promotion.
“We are moving beyond production to ensure that what we produce contributes to better nutrition. Food should be our medicine,” she said.
Results from the 2023 National Nutrition Survey show that two in 10 Filipino children aged five and below are stunted, a condition linked to zinc deficiency, which also results in weakened immunity and impaired brain development.
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