By Daniel P. Tapaoan, Jr. 

With the launching of their fifth rice paddy art today, October 4, Mariano Marcos State University and the Philippine Rice Research Institute - Batac are intensifying their efforts to promote rice production technologies.

Located at the MMSU Extension Demonstration Area, this year’s paddy art features the facial image of General Artemio Ricarte, an Ilokano hero known as the Father of the Philippine Army. 

The launching was attended by officials of the Philippine Veterans Affairs Office and Ricarte National Shrine, representatives from city and local government units, MMSU administrators, faculty and students, and PhilRice - Batac personnel. 

“The paddy art is our humble contribution in reinvigorating the agriculture sector by showcasing innovative rice production technologies. Hopefully, it also encourages the youth to pursue agriculture-based courses,” expressed MMSU President Shirley C. Agrupis. She added the collaborative project is also a way of giving tribute to exemplary individuals with significant contribution to agriculture in nation-building. 

“As we honor General Ricarte for his patriotism, may we be inspired to nurture the seeds of greatness that lie within each of us,” she urged. 

Batac Mayor Albert D. Chua conveyed the city government’s continuous support to the rice paddy art project, hoping that the university and the rice agency will continue to transfer R&D technologies to localities “because we are more than willing to adopt these technologies to help uplift the lives of our farmers.” 

PhilRice-Batac’s research coordinator Mary Ann Baradi, who represented manager Hazel Jane Orge in the event, thanked MMSU and partner-agencies for their overwhelming support to the collaborative project, which fuses art and agriculture while delivering the expected yield of the rice varieties. 

University extension director Marilou Lucas said the technology showcase of paddy art will accommodate high school students from Batac, Pasuquin, and Paoay this October. 

MMSU and PhilRice are establishing the paddy art using IR 1552, a traditional purple rice variety, and the PSB Rc 82 as green rice, one of the highest yielding rice varieties the PhilRice has produced with a maximum potential yield of 12 tons per hectare. In creating the paddy design, the planters are applying the anamorphosis principle, a technique used in 3D art that makes a picture look distorted, but appears normal when viewed from a certain angle. 

Other images featured in the rice paddy art of MMSU and PhilRice from 2018-2021 were former president Ferdinand E. Marcos, Sr.; former first lady Imelda R. Marcos; Dr. Santiago R. Obien, the second MMSU president and first PhilRice executive director; and Don Mariano Marcos, after whom MMSU was named. (HLY/JVBT, StratCom)