The Philippines
November 25, 2025
The Department of Agriculture–Philippine Rice Research Institute (DA-PhilRice) has launched the country’s first artificial intelligence (AI) ecosystem for agricultural information—a multilingual integrated platform that makes science-based rice farming information accessible to farmers and agricultural workers 24/7.
Unveiled during the 37th Ugnay Palay National Rice R4D Conference on Nov. 25, the rollout begins with the beta version of Palai, a chatbot available across all PhilRice-managed Facebook pages. Through Messenger, Palai provides expert-validated answers to rice-related questions and automatically recognizes queries in any language or local dialect.
PhilRice Deputy Executive Director for Development Dr. Karen Eloisa T. Barroga said the system, a part of the Institute’s blockbuster initiatives, addresses long-standing extension challenges such as limited technical responders, repetitive inquiries, scattered digital resources, and the need to provide guidance in farmers’ native languages. She noted that its multilingual capability is crucial in the Philippines where language barriers often hinder access to timely and accurate information.
Starting today, Palai replaces the Institute’s 8 a.m.–5 p.m. weekday support window with round-the-clock, multilingual assistance, easing technical support workloads and ensuring farmers receive timely guidance during pest outbreaks and other urgent crop-management concerns.
PhilRice Deputy Executive Director for Research Dr. Eduardo Jimmy P. Quilang highlighted the system’s role in accelerating technology delivery and preventing avoidable losses. “This initiative empowers farmers to make faster, better decisions that improve yields since even a one-day delay in addressing pest problems can lead to significant losses,” he said.
Powered by large language models and retrieval-augmented generation, Palai can analyze complex, multi-part queries and continuously improve through ongoing engagement with farmers. “Much like a child who grows more capable with experience, Palai learns from the questions it receives, which help refine its knowledge base over time. Its modular architecture allows for seamless expansion without the need to rebuild the system’s core,” said Lead Developer Mark Beltran.
He explained that this flexible design makes Palai much more than a chatbot—it serves as the backbone of an AI ecosystem where new tools, databases, and services can be added and integrated, enabling continuous growth in both features and knowledge resources.
For 2026, PhilRice plans to introduce additional innovations through the ecosystem, including offline-capable mobile apps with voice-enabled services and a centralized database that will allow local government units (LGUs) to order knowledge products, monitor deliveries, and track usage. The Institute is also exploring ways to deploy these tools in farmers’ cooperative offices and barangays to expand community access and strengthen decision-making at the field level.
PhilRice Executive Director Dr. John C. de Leon concluded, “This AI opens endless possibilities to enhance agricultural efficiency, resilience, and responsiveness—equipping farmers with the tools they need to thrive in a rapidly changing environment and advancing sustainable, productive rice farming nationwide. I believe this marks the beginning of a higher standard for agricultural information support in the Philippines.”
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