PHILRICE, Nueva Ecija—A cultural tour on rice and rice science will be exhibited at the SM Mall of Asia Music Hall in celebration of Rice Awareness Month that will introduce rice farming to people in Metro Manila and other key cities.
From November 23 to 26, urban children and students will be treated with games, stage plays, rice folklore and legend-telling in the four-day event, as well as view short films on Tipid Rice Tips, rice biotechnology and rice awareness.
Lectures on Philippine Rice Research Institute’s (PhilRice) Palayamanan and PalayCheck systems, as well as updates on rice science and technology, will also be conducted.
The event has put an emphasis on the business side of rice production and has also gathered exhibitors from the public and private sectors together with the Department of Agriculture regional offices, which will be exhibiting their famous rice-based byproducts.
Investors will, likewise, have the chance to see the many areas worth investing on in the rice industry during the agribusiness forum on November 24 and 25, where successful farmers will also be sharing their stories.
Chona Suner-Narvadez, marketing manager of PhilRice, said the event will introduce the youth diverse opportunities in the rice industry and other social and agro-industrial ventures.
The month of November was declared as the National Rice Awareness Month to sustain the legacy of the 2004 International Year of Rice (IYR).
The IYR promotes improved production and access to rice, which feeds more than half of the world’s population while providing income for millions of rice producers, processors and traders.
This proclamation coincides with the anniversary of the PhilRice, which was created in November 1985.
“The Future is Bright, The Future is Rice” is the current theme of the National Rice Awareness Month that aims to introduce students to the various opportunities in rice farming, as well as other social and agro-industrial
DA-PhilRice partners with Children International Philippines-Abot Kamay Inc. and the SM Foundation.
Children International, through its sponsorship program, has been assisting poor children and families to gain equal access to basic services such as education. Through their participation, the message of a bright future with a sustainable rice economy will be sent wide and reach more sponsors.
The socio-civic arm of the SM Group of Companies, SM Foundation, has projects to help the less fortunate in the communities it serves and has invited children from different schools to the exhibit to experience the many aspects of rice culture.