Datu Rolly Banday and Datu Daniel Balicucos examine the labels on the packets to be stored in the black box.

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), through the “Dynamic Conservation and Sustainable Use of Agrobiodiversity in Traditional Agro-Ecosystems of the Philippines” (ABD Project), facilitated the signing of the black box agreement between the Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) and representatives from the indigenous cultural communities from the project’s pilot sites for the safety deposit of their traditional rice varieties. This was held in the Central Experiment Station of PhilRice in the Science City of Muñoz in Nueva Ecija on 4 October 2022.

Indigenous Peoples Mandatory Representatives and alternates from the Tuwali tribe in Hungduan in Ifugao and the T’boli and Ubo tribes in Lake Sebu, South Cotabato signed the agreement. In Hingyon, the ABD Project’s third pilot municipality, the signatories were farmer leaders and Hingyon Mayor Florencio Nalula.

Also in attendance to the event were representatives from the Department of Agriculture – Bureau of Agricultural Research (DA-BAR), the lead coordinating government agency of the ABD Project, led by DA-BAR Assistant Director Joell Lales; key personnel from PhilRice, particularly from the Genetics Resources Division; representatives from the provincial and local government units of the pilot sites; and members of the Project Management and Coordination Unit of the ABD Project.

The signing of the black box agreement supports the target output of the project of ex situ conservation through safety deposit at the national level.

The black box agreement signing was the first of its kind for PhilRice, according to PhilRice Director John de Leon. “Sa PhilRice ngayon pa lang kami mag-ki-keep na directly from the community [This will be the first time for PhilRice to store rice that is directly from the community].”

Previously, only organisations collaborated with PhilRice for ex situ conservation.

The agreement underwent several rounds of review to ensure that Indigenous Peoples’ rights would be protected.

“Hindi lang malaking achievement [ito] ng FAO, DA-BAR, and ng PhilRice. Ang pinaka-importante dito ang farmers,” Lales said.

Virginia Agcopra, National Project Coordinator of the ABD Project, said that the black box agreement is for the next generation. “We do not want to lose valuable planting materials due to various factors in the areas where they are grown,” she says.

“Traditional rice varieties should be safely deposited here in the PhilRice Genebank because we care for these and we care for the next generation.”

Agcopra also thanked DA-BAR, PhilRice, the local government partners and the farmers.

Chita Sulan, the alternate T’boli representative from Barangay Klubi in Lake Sebu and a farmer and tnalak weaver, said, “Kagustuhan ito ng farmers kasi takot na takot kami na mawala ang tradisyonal na palay [We farmers want this because we do not want to lose our traditional rice].”

Evangeline Kimmayong, a farmer and barangay health worker from Barangay Cababuyan South in Hingyon, said, “Sa project na ito, maitatago namin para sa mga anak namin para alam nila ang importante pala ang aming mga produkto sa Hingyon, lalo na ngayong nawawala na ang traditional rice [Through the project, we will be able to conserve traditional rice for our children so that they will know the value of our products in Hingyon, especially now that traditional rice is slowly disappearing].”

“Sa aming mga farmers, may ibang halaga ang traditional varieties [Traditional rice varieties have a different value for us farmers],” Mario Ibat, Indigenous Peoples Mandatory Representative of Barangay Bokiawan in Hungduan, said.

“Nagsisikap tayo na i-preserve ito, alagaan ito. Naniniwala tayo na sa project na ito, ang traditional rice varieties ay mananatili sa amin sa kabundukan [We work hard to preserve and take care of it. We believe that through this project, the traditional rice varieties will remain with us in the mountains].”