Resilience is truly spelled as we see today’s view of the Rice Paddy Art in MMSU after the devastation of Typhoon Ompong in the province. After two days of strong winds and heavy rains pouring down in Batac City, the face of FEM is still vivid and green in the Extension Directorate’s Rice Demonstration Farm situated north of the University Twin Gates.

Just as it is reflective of the resilience of the Ilokanoes in all form of adversity, the rice paddy art is still open for public viewing and selfie posting!

See you there, friends!

The Rice Paddy Art 

The rice paddy art is a work of art of creating gigantic pictures using different colored rice plants with subjects visible in an aerial view. Originally from Inakadate village in Japan in 1993, this mean to bring tourism in a rice-growing village was known as ‘tanbo art’.

In the country, PhilRice utilized the 3D anamorphosis principle to marry agriculture and contemporary art through technology, allowing viewers to see the subject from a certain angle. With their design artists, the image was processed into grids to determine where the rice seedlings should be planted on a specified grid coordinate in the field.

IR 1552, a traditional Korean purple rice variety, and PSB Rc 82, a high-yielding inbred variety, were used as the paints for the rice paddy. These two varieties are being utilized for rice paddy art since these are the only colors of rice available in the country.

With the FutureRice program of PhilRice, rice paddy arts are envisioned to attract the youth, especially the millennials, to go into agriculture to help sustain the labour force of farming in the country. According to Dr. Reynaldo Castro of PhilRice – Batac, the average age of farmers in the Philippines is already nearing 50, hence, this age has posted a pressing problem on how the government can sustain the farming force of the country. Tapping the interest of the new generation through this work of art, it is expected that more youth will see the beauty of agriculture more than just a duty.

Recognizing the importance of revitalizing the agriculture sector for self-sufficiency, the use of paddy art is PhilRice’s response to meet the aging labour force of the agriculture sector and the University’s challenge to researches to develop technologies for increased rice productivity and value-adding. By attracting millennials to go into agriculture, sustaining the agriculture sector is within reach and research-results utilized will mean bigtime development in farming.

FEM and the Rice Paddy Art

                More than just a celebration of marrying technology and agriculture, the rice paddy art is a tribute to the visionary who manned the golden era of the Philippines, the late President Ferdinand E. Marcos. With MMSU as the venue and the PhilRice as the source of expertise, this piece of art also highlights his contributions to the Philippine agriculture, and the birthing of the two institutions pushing for the advancement of the agriculture sector.  

In the ceremonial transplanting held last August 14, PhilRice officials, as well as research and extension workers, and students led by MMSU officials, jointly completed the rice paddy art in the demonstration area in view of the 101^st birthday celebration of FEM.

Last September 11, 2018, the birthday of FEM, the very own governor of the province, Hon. Imee R. Marcos, and her three sons, together with provincial and municipal officials, graced the paddy area as part of FEM’s 101^st birthday celebration after a thanksgiving mass and wreath laying ceremony. Recalling how it has been difficult for them to buy a present for his birthday, Gov. Imee commended MMSU and PhilRice for the Rice paddy art that would have really earned FEM’s appreciation and commendation.

Rice Paddy and Typhoon Ompong in Ilocos

Damages and ravages brought by Typhoon Ompong are visible in all corners of Ilocandia and nearby provinces after Ilocos Norte has been placed under Tropical Cyclone Warning Signal No. 4 last Saturday, September 15. Bringing strong winds of up to 205 kph and gustiness of up to 255 kph, trees and infrastructures alike suffered from the winds and rains that recorded a P1.9B damage on the agriculture sector.

Now a month and a week old, the rice seedlings in the rice paddy art are still green and growing despite the winds and rains of Typhoon Ompong. Showing resilience as always, the rice seedlings continue to show the smiling face of FEM and PSCA’s seven-point agenda, ACHIEVE, at the rice demonstration area situated just in front of the MMSU Administration Building.

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