A rice paddy art featuring the image of Ilocano hero General Artemio Ricarte is unveiled at Mariano Marcos State University in Batac City, Ilocos Norte on Tuesday, Oct. 4. (Photo courtesy of PhilRice Batac)
LAOAG CITY, Ilocos Norte — A rice paddy art featuring Ilocano hero General Artemio Ricarte, the father of the Philippine Army, was unveiled Tuesday, Oct. 4, in Batac City by the state-run Mariano Marcos State University (MMSU) and the Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice).
Rice paddy art originated in Japan where people could plant rice of various types and colors to create images in a paddy field, according to PhilRice.
In a separate statement, MMSU said Ricarte was the fifth notable individual featured by the agencies in rice paddy art to “promote rice production technologies.”
The art was located at the extension demonstration area of MMSU.
University president Shirley Agrupis said the initiative was their “contribution to reinvigorating the agriculture sector by showcasing innovative rice production technologies.”
The “collaborative project” was also meant to encourage the youth to pursue agriculture-based courses, added Agrupis.
To create paddy art, the agencies used 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, according to MMSU.
The “anamorphosis principles” were used as a technique to create the paddy design.
MMSU said the technique is used in “3D art that makes a picture look distorted, but appears normal when viewed from a certain angle.”
Since the rice paddy art was launched in 2018, MMSU and PhilRice have also used the images of former president Ferdinand E. Marcos Sr. and his wife, former first lady Imelda R. Marcos.
Images of Dr. Santiago Obien, the second MMSU president and first PhilRice executive director, and Don Mariano Marcos, whose MMSU was named after, also served as inspiration for the rice paddy art. INQ
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