The Rice Paddy Art Agri-Tourism site of the Mariano Marcos State University (MMSU) takes spotlight today, September 23, in its official launching and the commencement of technology viewing to all interested community members.  The establishment was made possible thru the strong partnership of MMSU and the Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice).

The Paddy Art is one of the highlights of the first Founder’s Month celebration organized by the University. The virtual launching was streamed via the official Facebook Page MMSU.  

The art was launched together with the Vice Governor, Hon. Cecilia Araneta-Marcos, officials of the City of Batac, Dr. Santiago Obien, former MMSU President and the Founding Director of PhilRice, heads of MMSU-attached national government agencies such as PhilRice, NTA, PCC at MMSU, PhilFIDA, and ATI, with livestream participants form the different local and city government units.

The brief launching was made more meaningful as a celebration of the first Founder’s Month through a highlight of the life and legacy of FEM and Don Mariano Marcos. Dr. Santiago Obien, in his talk on The What of PD 1279 s. 1978, shared that “MMSU, through PD 1279, was dedicated to all Ilocanoes to serve as a model of high quality education in the region and the whole country”, and a way to “decongest Manila universities” while ensuring equal opportunities for education. Upon the establishment of the MMSU, other state universities and colleges were established in various regions.

Former University Architect, Arch. Bienvenido Magno, having personal encounters with FEM, recalled in his talk on The FEM Legacy at MMSU that FEM envisioned MMSU as a “university for the people of the North”, a pro-poor University that gives opportunity for the Ilokano youth to be educated with high quality education.

Interestingly, Dr. Joselito Lolinco, Former Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences (CAS), unveiled in his talk, Reminiscing the Father and Son Tandem of Inclusive Development, the stories of hope for Ilocos Norte through the eyes of the community people. He divulged the economic agenda of FEM to make Ilocos Norte a tourism destination, a haven of high quality education, and research and development hub, and diplomatic relationship with other countries, upfront leadership and governance of local government units, and road networks for accessibility.

Dr. Lolinco recalled that these were achieved through the establishment of the Laoag International Airport as an entry point of international tourists, the Fort Ilocandia for high class accommodation, the provincial and regional road networks to cut travel time from Manila to Ilocos, the establishment of MMSU, and the long-standing partnership with national agencies such as the then Philippine Tobacco Research and Training Center (PTRTC), and other national government agencies. The Yellow and White Gold of the Ilocos, the tobacco and garlic industry, were also sought to be invigorated by bringing in various development institutions closer to the Ilokano people.

With all these, MMSU President Shirley C. Agrupis said that this natural spectacle, the rice paddy art, is a symbol of the unified “resolve to help secure and sustain food for all, to contribute significantly to regional and national development through sustained research and development endeavours, and to always hone and uphold the greatness that is in the Ilokano DNA”.

A month after its establishment, the rice paddy art is now in its tillering stage, and will be for best viewing until its maximum tillering until mid-October. From today until the harvesting, the paddy art is hoped to be a living dedication to all the farmers, youth, and the people for whom the University endeavours to overcome the challenges of the present.

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