Philippine Rice Research Institute(PhilRice)

October 22, 2019 Dear Rovenz Vinzent Cortez, Greetings! Thank you for your request dated Oct 18, 2019 11:36:09 AM under Executive Order No. 2 (s. 2016) on Freedom of Information in the Executive Branch. Your request for the status of the infestation of Golden Apple Snails in the Philippines has been approved and answers are listed below: 1. Currently Golden Apple Snail (GAS) is affecting all irrigated rice in the Philippine (BPI 2010). GAS pose risk to rice at 4 to 30 days after sowing or at 0 to 15 days after transplanting. GAS can cause up to 85% crop damage. 2. In 2016 PRISM (Philippine Rice Information System) crop health survey, 43% of the monitoring field applied molluscicide to manage GAS infestation (N=1,188 fields) nationwide. 3. The government does not provide molluscicide to farmers. Farmers pay an additional 700 to 1,500 Php/ha for GAS management (molluscicide and replanting). 4. See attached documents (Current status of GAS in IRT; and Integrated Kuhol Management) If you are unhappy with this response to your FOI request, you may ask us to carry out an internal review of the response by writing to Dr. Jimmy P. Quilang, OIC-Office of the Deputy Executive Director for Research through [email protected] or [email protected]. Your review request should explain why you are dissatisfied with this response, and should be made within 15 calendar days from the date when you received this letter. We will complete the review and tell you the result within 30 calendar days from the date when we receive your review request. If you are not satisfied with the result of the review, you then have the right to appeal to the Office of the President under Administrative Order No. 22 (s. 2011). Thank you. Respectfully, FOI Decision Maker PhilRice FOI Receiving Officer