To preserve the Traditional Rice Varieties (TRVs) of our Indigenous People, a Blackbox Agreement was signed by DA-Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice), farmers, and local government unit representatives on 4 October 2022 at DA-PhilRice in Muñoz, Nueva Ecija. 

The TRVs from Hungduan and Hingyon in Ifugao and from the T'boli and Ubo tribes in Lake Sebu, South Cotabato were stored at DA-PhilRice Genebank for 𝘦𝘹 𝘴𝘪𝘵𝘶 conservation through safety deposit for future use. 

Following the signing of agreement, a project scoping in Ifugao was conducted to determine the needs of farmers in these areas and possible assistance to ensure for the sustainability of project initiatives. 

Food and Agriculture Organization-Agrobiodiversity Project Management Coordinating Unit led by Virginia Agcopra and DA-BAR staff visited the municipalities of Hungduan and Hingyon on 5-6 October 2022. ###