By Manny Piñol
President Rody Duterte will honour American scientist Peter Randolph Jennings, known as the “Father of the Miracle Rice” with a Presidential Award expected to be bestowed this month.
The President acted on the recommendation of the Department of Agriculture for a Presidential Award for Dr. Jennings because of his great contribution to addressing hunger in the world.
Dr. Jennings, now over 90 years old, bred and developed the IR-8 variety by breeding a Chinese dwarf rice with an Indian tall variety.
HIs genetic discovery led to the development of the IR series of rice varieties which posted very high yields and contributed to the increase of rice production all over the world.
After its discovery 50 years ago, then Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos introduced the IR-8 or the “Miracle Rice” to Filipino rice farmers and for a short period of time, the Philippines became a rice exporting country.
Today, the country imports an estimated 1.8-million metric tons every year to fill up the gap.
Dr. Jennings’ contributions to the rice industry are considered as the milestones in the world’s search for higher yielding varieties to supply rice to an estimated 10-billion people.
IR-8 is considered as the rice variety which changed the world and Dr. Jennings is hailed for that accomplishment.
Yesterday, when the official letter of the DA endorsing Dr, Jennings for a Presidential Award, President Duterte immediately endorsed the request and commented that scientists like the American rice breeder should be honoured for their contributions to the effort to address hunger in the world.
A similar request for a Congressional Honor will be sent to Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez next week.
Last Tuesday, IRRI marked the 50th anniversary of the “discovery” of the Miracle Rice with ceremonies in the IRRI compound in Los Baños, Laguna.
Dr. Jennings spoke during the ceremonies and it was then when I announced that the DA, with the endorsement of former Secretaries Domingo Panganiban and Leonardo Montemayor, would ask President Duterte and Congress to honour him.
(Photo shows Pres. Duterte reading the DA letter endorsing a Presidential Award for Dr. Jennings. Second photo shows Dr. Jennings and me in the IR-8 50th anniversary celebration on Tuesday in Los Baños, Laguna.)
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