An engineer from Oriental Mindoro has won the Outstanding Industrial Design award at the 2025 National Invention Contest and Exhibits for developing a device that eases the burden of rice planting for Filipino farmers.

Delfin Cuevas Jr., from Bongabong town in Oriental Mindoro, created the Palatak Palay Seeder after witnessing his mother’s struggles with manual planting.

The device plants rice seeds directly into soil while distributing them evenly at consistent intervals.

This precision planting makes weeding easier and improves soil aeration, improving photosynthesis and potentially boosting crop yields.

Cuevas, a former Overseas Filipino Worker (OFW), developed the innovation through the Department of Science and Technology’s (DOST) iFWD program, which helps returning OFWs establish businesses in the Philippines.

The award, presented at the recent NICE competition in Batangas City, recognizes innovations that address practical challenges in Philippine agriculture.

More than 20 provinces nationwide have already adopted the Palatak Palay Seeder, with wider deployment expected across the country, according to Zaldie Gawad, DOST senior science specialist.

Photograph by Jessi Pine via Agriculture Monthly