Rice paddy artworks in Nueva Ecija honor farmers, call for safe polls

An image of a farmer with the “19.96MMT” inscription beside it signifies support for local farmers. The numbers represent the volume of rice produced in the country in 2021. (Contributed)

SCIENCE CITY OF MUÑOZ, Nueva Ecija––At least 60 people worked together to use a paddy field in this city to create artworks honoring farmers and praying for successful elections in May.

The elaborate designs using various rice plant varieties, which are part of this year’s paddy art, are found at the Philippine Rice Research Institute in Barangay Maligaya in this city.

The artists behind the paddy artworks said they used a combination of “NSIC Rc 10” and traditional purple rice varieties to create the images: a farmer with the inscription, “19.96MMT,” and the phrase “Vote s.a.f.e. Pilipinas.”

“The farmer’s image, along with the ‘19.96MMT’ inscription, signifies that this accomplishment is for and by the hardworking rice farmers of our country,” said paddy rice lead artist Nehemiah Caballong.

Caballong said the numbers represent the rice volume produced in the country in 2021.

This rice paddy artwork calls for safe, secure, accurate, free, and fair elections in the country on May 9. (Contributed)

The other artwork calls for safe, secure, accurate, free, and fair elections in the country to support the campaign by the Commission on Elections.

Jose Mari Nombrere, one of the lead artists in this 14th paddy art planting, said the artwork also aims to create awareness about colored varieties, like purple rice.

The figures are in PhilRice’s Future Rice Farm established in 2015, and are now open for group visitors aged 18 to 64 from places with COVID-19 alert level 1 classification, according to the PhilRice information office.

Visitors have to send a letter of their intention to visit with an endorsement from the local government unit of origin.

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