Panagyaman Rice Festival

THE Panagyaman Rice Festival was the first national celebration dedicated to the successes of small farmers who have been the backbone in the campaign for a Hungry-Free Philippines. The celebration is pursuant to Presidential Proclamation No. 606, s. 2004, which declared the month of April, which is the harvest period for rice and other food crops, as Panagyaman Rice Festival – the National Celebration of Successful Rice Harvest. April was chosen for the observance of the festival because “the success of rice production and harvest in April provides substance and significance to the festivities and fiestas held across the country in May and June.”

The festival gathers the local folks together to celebrate their rich harvest in colorful and lively spirit. Various activities are staged, including street dancing, singing, a float parade, agro-industrial and trade fairs, and sportsfest. Some provinces have “rice rituals.” Examples of these are Ilocos Norte’s Ani at Mannalon, Quezon’s Pahiyas, Ifugao’s Bakle ad Nadacadian; Cebu’s Sinaggiyaw; Negros Occidential’s Pasalamat; and the Agawan ng Suman sa Tayabas, a tribute to San Isidro Labrador, the patron saint of farmers.

“Panagyaman” is an Ilocano term for thanksgiving of pasasalamat. History is replete with accounts where Filipino farmers offer part of their harvests in thanksgiving to the Great Provider or their town’s patron saint. The Panagyaman Rice Festival is a celebration of the farmers’ hard work and dedication. The significant role of rice in the food supply, economy, and culture of Filipinos is the focus of many festival celebrations in the country. In 2015, the five outstanding rice producing provinces were Ilocos Norte, Nueva Vizcaya, Occidental Mindoro, Davao del Norte, and Davao Oriental. These provinces each received a trophy and P4 million worth of agricultural project grants during the 2015 Agri-Pinoy Rice Achievers Awards (APRAA) at the Resorts World Manila in April, 2016. Nueva Ecija, which has been dubbed the “bread basket” because of its ability to produce large amounts of rice, had earlier received the Hall of Fame award for having won APRRA three times along with Pangasinan, Ilocos Norte, Nueva Vizcaya, Isabela, Bulacan, Occidental Mindoro, and Davao del Sur.

The annual Panagyaman Rice Festival is a celebration of our farmers and their vital role in our economy. Without their patience and hard work, we would lack food on our dining tables. Let us thank the Great Provider for a rich harvest and all our farmers for tending their rice fields and ensuring that we have adequate supply of this staple food.