Getting her hands dirty

Nueva Ecija is often referred to as the rice bowl of the Philippines, since it is the largest province and biggest rice producer in the Central Luzon region. Rightfully so, Nueva Ecija is home to the Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice), the country’s lead agency for the planning, coordination, implementation, and monitoring of all rice research and development activities. The famous rice-producing province is also called home by one of PhilRice’s top technology promotion experts, Engr. Aurora Corales.

Engr. Corales, or Au, is a senior science research specialist at the Technology Management and Services Division of PhilRice. She handles the integrated area-based technology promotion project, which aims to make the most of the rice and rice-based technologies developed by PhilRice through innovative strategies and partnerships with local government units, nongovernment organizations, and the private sector. This project is being implemented in close coordination with the branch stations of PhilRice in different provinces. The collaboration
between PhilRice and the International Rice Research Institute on the development and promotion of improved technologies on rice production
falls under this project.

In addition, the technology promotion activities within Central Luzon and Pangasinan Province are also under her study leadership. With all the responsibilities under her belt, not a week goes by that Engr. Corales doesn’t head to one of the branch stations or farmers’ fields to monitor the projects.

Out in the field, she provides technical assistance
to partners, conducts hands-on training on technologies, and holds consultation meetings to identify key production constraints. The PhilRice group is also responsible for conducting farmers’ field days and information campaigns, such as the successful Boo Boo Rat campaign (See Rat patrol in Nueva Ecija, Philippines).

Her efforts are now paying off. Year 2006 was a good one for her, as she received the 2006 Pagasa Award, a nationwide competition held yearly by the government’s civil service commission. Her division also bagged the Outstanding Division award at PhilRice’s 21st anniversary celebration, and she, as Outstanding
R&D staff (level 2).

“It is difficult doing technology promotion because we are dealing with different personalities,” Engr. Corales says. “Some farmers are more receptive than others. But it is very fulfilling because we see that we are serving and helping them. When I go to the fields, they ask so many questions. This is probably why I got pulled into this kind of work.”

This agricultural engineer started off as a statistician in 1982 at the Philippine Cotton Corporation in Pangasinan, where she met her husband, Rizal. “When I was studying for my master’s degree in rural development, I didn’t realize that I was already shifting careers. I was then working with community organizers in my office at the Philippine Rural Reconstruction Movement, and they were using different terms in the local dialect. It was a shocking experience for me,” she reveals.

Nowadays, Engr. Corales is most comfortable dealing
with farmers, especially since her father is a farmer as well. Another hobby that she finds comfort and peace from is gardening. “My husband and I enjoy working
together in our small garden,” she shares. “When I wake up each morning, I look at my plants and see if they have any beautiful flowers.”

This mother of three girls hopes to continue her studies in community development, so she can better equip herself to help farmers. “Our farmers are in a continuous cycle of debt. The sad thing is most of the proceeds of selling palay (rice grains) will be used to pay their loans,” she says.

Her advice to Filipino farmers is to cooperate with one another to help uplift their sector. “Do not rely only on the government for you to progress; continue to strive hard and not give up because of poverty,” she says. “Many technologies have been discovered to help in rice-growing; let us not waste them.”

Trina Mendoza (t.mendoza@cgiar.org)

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