While the people lived in dire poverty in the countryside, the Shah of Iran spent more than $100 million on his coronation ceremony in 1967 in the city of Persepolis as King of Kings, with heads of states, diplomats, movie starts among the guests, and caviar, chefs and Baccarat crystals flown from France dining on Limoges porcelain china.
As a gift on his coronation, former President Marcos gave the Shah a packet of IR seeds, otherwise known as “Miracle Rice,” produced by the International Rice Research Institute, which was established in 1960 at the UP College of Agriculture in Los Banos, Laguna.
Indeed, what appropriate gift can one give to one of the richest men on earth on his coronation if not rice–the golden grain of life?
The first National Rice Month was proclaimed by former US President George Bush in 1991. In 2004, former President Arroyo signed Proclamation No. 524 declaring every November as National Rice Awareness Month, thus, officially adopting the International Year of the Rice in the Philippines declared by the UN in recognition of rice and its significant role in various cultures and traditions, and as staple food for more than half of the population of planet earth.
Foundation University has a unique way of observing Rice Month, dating back to July of 2006, two years after Proclamation No. 524. Its first major move was to adopt the “Rice is Life” campaign of the Asia Rice Foundation, inspired by the report of Dr. Kwanchai A. Gomez: “For more than half of humanity, rice is life. It is the grain that has shaped the history, culture, diet, and economy of billions of people of Asia. Many of them sleep on rice straw, drink rice liquor and offer rice to their gods. The growth stages of rice mark the passage of time and season…rice is not just a cereal; it is the root of civilization.”
The observance of Rice Month in the form of creating public awareness of the need to conserve rice is the underlying focus of FU when it adopted the “Rice is Life” campaign as one of its institutional corporate social responsibility programs.
In the early 1950s, the Philippines was a leading rice producer. Fifty years later, it has become the highest rice-importing country in the world. The Food & Nutrition Research Institute of the DOST estimates that each Filipino wastes three tablespoons of rice daily, and that this wastage in Filipino households translates to a staggering P9.6 billion a year, an amount enough to feed 4.3 million hungry Filipinos.
These facts led FU to suggest a paradigm shift which advocates that the key to food and rice sustainability, one of the Millennium Development Goals, is not arming farmers with the latest technology aimed at increasing production but, rather, to create a “culture of conservation” where farmers consciously practice conservation of natural resources such as land, water, and protecting the atmosphere, prudence in the utilization of seeds, fertilizers, in the milling and distribution of rice–and all Filipino households in the cooking and consumption of rice.
On Sunday, Nov. 20, FU will stage various events aimed at increasing public awareness of its advocacy of rice conservation, and celebrating Rice Month.
Foremost of this is the Dumaguete Adventure Marathon, a full 42.195 km.-run, traversing 15 barangays in the municipalities of Sibulan and Valencia and the city of Dumaguete. It will be the first ever full-marathon held in Negros Oriental, and where participants of the quarter marathon (10.5K), half (21K), and full marathons will use electronic timing chips so the organizers can monitor and process their walking/running performances.
The DAM is FU’s annual “gift” to the gentle people of Dumaguete City as they celebrate their Charter Day. Everyone at FU, including the President Dr. Mira D. Sinco and the faculty/staff, and students will participate in this event, an occasion manifesting community unity and affection for the City that has since hosted the academic institution founded by the eminent statesman Dr. Vicente G. Sinco for the last 62 years.
A cooking competition with contestants from the municipalities and cities of Negros Oriental will also be held for the fifth time. They pit their skills against each other in preparing rice-based dishes. There will also be the usual puso-making contest, won last year by an elderly. These features of the Rice Month celebration aims to preserve Filipino rice cooking culture and tradition.
The significance of November as the National Rice Month doesn’t seem to attract the attention of the Filipino people. The leading government and private institutions like the Department of Agriculture, PhilRice, Asia Rice Foundation, UP Los Banos, NFA do not seem to be doing anything to celebrate the spirit of Proclamation No. 524.
This is sad, if not tragic, because the UN Food and Agriculture Organization estimates that by the year 2050, the world is in danger of experiencing severe hunger.
FU’s campaign of creating a culture of conservation in the minds and hearts of everyone needs to be supported.
