PALAYAN CITY, Nueva Ecija – Rice products, recipes, rituals and festivals have great significance in the country’s cultural heritage. They are, likewise, interwoven into our dances, folk songs, poetry and paintings. In Asia, 60 to 70 percent of the over two billion people depend on rice, while in the Philippines, it is 85 percent of the population. So, it is suffice to say that without rice, we become less of a Filipino.
As the world celebrates the International Year of the Rice (IYR), the Philippines took part in the festivities when it recently held the 1st Rice Festival here, coinciding with the National Rice Awareness Month.
The Department of Agriculture (DoA) together with the Department of Tourism (DoT), leads the country in celebrating the IYR with PhilRice as the National IYR Secretariat.
The two-day festival, held at the Nueva Ecija Convention Center in Palayan City, is a tribute to the rice farmers, who are undoubtedly the most important part of the country’s national food security. The event also highlighted the importance of rice, and engaged the participation of individuals and organizations in the attainment of the IYR mission, which is to improve production and access to rice.
A showcase of these various rice products was the highlight of the event with over 30 exhibitors participating. Rice farmers are now turning to tourism for that additional income by selling their rice products to visitors. Some of the local produce on sale were bibingkang kakanin, espasol, buro, kalamay roll, rice cookies, tapuy or rice wine, duro-duro (glutinous rice on a stick) and arroz valenciana, likened to the Spanish dish "paella."
Other activities initiated by PhilRice are exhibits, art contests, book launches, symposiums and street dancing plus demonstrations on making rice wine, carbonized rice hull and rice hull stove. The said activities were supported by DoT, Department of Science and Technology (DoST), Department of Education (DepEd), International Rice Research Institute, AsiaRice Foundation and the National Commission for Culture and the Arts.
According to PhilRice executive director Leocadio S. Sebastian, rice contributes about 20 percent of the total value of agricultural goods produced in the country. It is planted in 30 percent of the total crop area and provides livelihood to at least two million farmers.
"Our farmers plant rice for various reasons. There are those who do it as a past time, hobby, business and research. Most, however, do it as a way of life to generate income or produce food," Sebastian said.
He added that this way of life is very diverse and subject to different social, economic and geographic conditions. "As a way of life, our farmers consider a complex array of decisions when they plant rice. They are not only motivated by income."
The IYR is a Philippine-initiative in the United Nations (UN) which is supported by 44 countries. The IYR aims to develop sustainable rice-based farming systems that will reduce hunger and poverty and will provide income for millions of rice producers, processors, and traders. It also aims to contribute to environmental conservation.
The province of Nueva Ecija has been traditionally referred to as the "bread basket" of the country because of its ability to produce substantial volumes of "palay." It is the largest in Central Luzon taking about one-third of its total land mass.
Completely land locked, it is protected by 10 mountain ranges scattered along the eastern portion, protecting the region from the monsoon typhoons that frequent the area during the months of July to October. Its land are nourished by the great Pampanga River and its many tributaries.
The soil here is said to be from complex materials and alluvial soil. The latter is a good type of agricultural soil, hence, it is utilized for lowland crops such as rice, corn, vegetables and sugarcane, among others.
The Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) is a government-owned and controlled corporation under the Office of the President. It was created on Nov. 5, 1985 to help develop high-yielding technologies so that farmers can produce enough rice for all Filipinos. PhilRice accomplishes this mission through research, technology promotion and policy advocacy, which are implemented through a national rice network that includes 57 agencies and 96 seed centers strategically located nationwide.
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