Everytime I go to Laguna, I always make it to a point to visit the International Rice Research Institute or IRRI as they call it. It is located in the town of Los Baños, sandwiched by the University of the Philippines-Los Baños and the University of the Philippines Open U. IRRI is where the greatest scientists and researchers of the Philippines are at, to save the world from hunger and poverty. They aim to produce the best yielding rice breed and develop the most advantageous technique to manage rice crops. There are also scientists from different countries like Japan, India, and Myanmar to collaborate with Filipinos in IRRI.
To get to IRRI, you have to take a jeepney via Bay/Santa Cruz/San Pablo. It will cost you 8 pesos or 18 US cents for the jeepney ride. Ask the jeepney driver that you need to be in IRRI. He will stop the jeepney in front of UP Open U. But if you want an easier option, you can take the free bus ride to IRRI although it is not available all the time.
You will need a five-minute walk to get to the IRRI’s entrance and you will be greeted by its humble sign that says “The International Rice Research Institute. There will be rice paddies along your way, and then you will get to see their green houses where they take care of the new rice breed.
After the greenhouses are the headquarters or the offices. This is where the brainstorming happens. The IRRI also has a canteen which serves good food and fresh fruits and vegetables. I love eating there because for me, there’s nothing more beautiful than eating good food while overlooking beautiful scenery.
If you want to have a more educational visit, you can also check out their museum. It will open up your eyes on how farming started in the Philippines and how we should value our farmers for their hard work. Without them, everyone in the world will be hungry. There are also indigenous, old and traditional apparatuses used by these early heroes. Although the adventure does not stop there, if your feet can still take more steps you can hike the road to University of the Philippines Los Baños. The road looks like a way to Narnia, without the lion and the witch of course. From UPLB, you can take the jeepney to the center of the town.
IRRI is more than an institute where all the scholarly investigations and studies happen. It is a place where you can appreciate the beauty of the sweat in the brows of our farmers. After your IRRI adventure, you will see food in a more sumptuous way.
