The Institute of Plant Breeding (IPB) of the UPLB College of Agriculture and Food Science (CAFS) honored its exemplary employees, teams, and longtime collaborators at a program on June 5, 2025, at the E.B. Copeland Gymnasium.

The program, part of IPB’s golden jubilee celebration, was graced by Chancellor Jose V. Camacho, Jr., UP President Angelo A. Jimenez, and Dr. Emil Q. Javier, national scientist and IPB founding director. 

IPB was established through Presidential Decree 729 on June 5, 1975, with the mandate of developing new and improved varieties of valuable and critical agricultural crops, investigating plant breeding and crop improvement, conserving and managing plant genetic resources, and helping stakeholders multiply quality seeds and planting materials. 

Since then, IPB has developed over 200 crop varieties of cereals, vegetables, legumes, fruits, ornamentals, root crops, and feed and industrial crops, which are registered with the National Seed Industry Council (NSIC) and the IPB Germplasm and Technology Registration and Release Office (IPB GTRRO). 

Messages from university officials

In a message to the IPB constituents, UPLB Chancellor Jose V. Camacho Jr. commended IPB for uplifting farmers’ livelihoods and contributing to the country’s food and nutrition security. 

He thanked the IPB personnel for their steadfast commitment, hard work, and excellence and acknowledged longtime collaborators and partners for their trust, support, and belief in IPB’s mission. 

Camacho also assured IPB of the university’s full support in its ongoing and future endeavors. “May you continue to plant seeds of hope, harvest knowledge, and cultivate change for the nation and beyond,” he added. 

In his keynote address, UP President Jimenez reminded the IPB constituents that UP, as a premier state university, must be a hub for transformational change, engaging communities to help solve real-world problems. 

“We are not just in the business of research; we are in the business of national survival, and we are in the business of projecting the future a hundred years from now,” he said.

For his part, National Scientist Javier thanked everyone who made IPB what it is today, but reminded them of the need “to do much better for the future.”

Javier said, “Anniversary celebrations are meant to recall the glorious past, to remember and thank those who preceded us, and to congratulate ourselves in the present. But in addition, anniversaries are timely to find fresh meaning – the reasons for being, to seek new directions, and to strengthen our efforts to do much better for the future.”  

Loyalty Service awardees

Recognized for their 10 years of service were Raol P. Pamiloza, a university researcher, and the following administrative personnel: Ramon Christopher G. Alip, Janice O. Apolinario, Kristine Joy V. Carandang, Josephine I. Galicia, Rolyn N. Gonzales, Roel M. Lawas, Ivan Julius W. Madrid, Ariel T. Makiling, Ferdinand Oane, Rosiel C. Ondoy, Lorena D. Velasco, and Anthony P. Vicencio. 

The awardees recognized for serving the university for 15 years were researchers Lorna G. Matanguihan and Maria Alma B. Sanchez.

IPB recognized administrative personnel Jerome S. Alborida, Marvin M. Obando and Porferio Y. Dumalag for their 15-year service to the university. Researchers Claudette D. Oraye and Lavernee S. Gueco were recognized for 20 and 25 years of service, respectively.

Researcher Maria Luisa D. Guevarra and administrative staff Rowena B. Frankie were recognized for their 30 years of service to IPB. 

IPB also recognized administrative staff Leila S. Caymo and Joseph I. Bataller for serving the institute for 35 and 40 years, respectively.

Administrative staff retirees Rico C. Canilao, Dionisio C. Masa, Edgardo DL. Reyes, Felicidad B. Punzalan, Lourdes O. Angeles, Gregorio DO. De Ocampo, Elenita R. Castillo, Atanacio R. Lagman, and Eusebia J. Carandang were similarly acknowledged. 

Recognition of outstanding personnel 

IPB also conferred awards to its administrative personnel, research and extension personnel, and project teams for outstanding service. 

Named outstanding administrative personnel were: Flora R. Cuevas, Bukod-Tangi Blue Collar, regular staff category; Randy C. De Mesa, Bukod-Tangi Blue Collar, contract of service (COS) staff category; May Ann B. Eljera, Bukod-Tangi Office Staff, COS staff category; Rizalina L. Tiongco, Bukod-Tangi Technical Staff, regular staff category; and Lourdes O. Angeles, Special Citation Award. 

Hidelisa D. de Chavez, Gerlie P. Antesco, and Benjamine William P. Cordez were this year’s outstanding research personnel awardees. At the same time, the Flowering Ornamental Plants Breeding Team emerged as the IPB Outstanding Research Project for its valuable work in plant breeding. 

Meanwhile, the IPB Extension Project Team on Public Information and Technology Awareness took the IPB Outstanding Extension Project Award for fostering the dissemination of the significance of IPB-developed varieties and technologies. 

Recognition of collaborators and partners

IPB also recognized its longtime collaborators, Central Mindanao State University (CMU), for the shared objective of combating downy mildew in corn through resistant varieties and East-West Seed Company for being the licensee of ‘Sinta,’’ the first Philippine-bred F1 IPB-developed hybrid papaya. The variety is now available in the country and international markets such as Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and India.

IPB recognized Benguet State University (BSU) for collaborating with the institute to establish the BSU-IPB Highland Crops Station, where farmer-preferred potato and vegetable varieties registered with the National Seed Industry Council are being developed.

Other partners that were recognized were Barangay Burol Organic Agriculture Cooperative for being a certified corn seed producer, making IPB-developed maize varieties available to the local market and consumers since 2018; the Department of Agriculture Regional Field Office Region II, for supporting IPB’s varietal testing and field trials in legumes and vegetables from the 1980s onward; and BM Domingo Seeds, for the shared commitment and outstanding contributions in advancing agricultural development. 

According to Dr. Nenita B. Baldo, faculty member at CMU and manager of its Agricultural Experiment Center, the university (CMU) reaffirms its commitment, continued collaboration, and willingness to work alongside IPB toward the shared goal of advancing Philippine agriculture, particularly through innovations in crop improvement. 

Highlights of IPB’s golden jubilee celebration

IPB will cap off its jubilee anniversary celebration with the first International Plant Breeding Conference, which will be held from June 26 to June 27, 2025, at The Manila Hotel. 

Esteemed personalities in plant breeding will grace the event and share their expertise with an expected 300 participants.

The celebration kicked off on March 13 and 14, 2025, with the IPB Junior Researchers’ Organization Scientific Conference, followed by the IPB Farmers’ Field Day on May 20- 23, the IPB Sportsfest on May 29-30, and the IPB Fiestahan and Family Night on June 6. (Dianne B. Ubaldo)