Of science and rice

Reynaldo A. Bacani

LAST month, the country celebrated the 2020 National Science and Technology Week (NSTW) and the National Rice Awareness Month – both which play a vital role in the lives of our students and learners.

The Department of Science and Technology (DOST) led the celebration of the 2020 National Science and Technology Week (NSTW) with the theme “Agham at Teknolohiya: Sandigan ng Kalusugan, Kabuhayan, Kaayusan at Kinabukasan”.

DOST was at the forefront again by staging the 2020 NSTW celebration in virtual mode for the first time in history.

The NSTW has been celebrated every third week of July pursuant to Presidential Proclamation (PP) No.169. However, in August 2019, by virtue of PP 780 signed by President Rodrigo Roa Duterte, the NSTW celebration will now be conducted every fourth week of November.

The change of date was meant to ensure maximum participation of schools, students, stakeholders, and the public during the week-long celebration due to the change in the academic calendar of most universities, schools, and educational institutions.

The activity aims to highlight the efforts and initiatives of DOST and the entire scientific community in the area of research and development, practical technologies, innovation in agriculture, industry, and health, technical services and trainings, and financial assistance to entrepreneurs to help every Filipino adapt to COVID-19 under the new normal.

In the same vein, the National Rice Awareness Month was also held last month pursuant to Presidential Proclamation No. 524, s. 2004.

The Department of Agriculture celebrated the National Rice Awareness Month (NRAM) 2020 with the theme “Grow Local. Buy Local. Eat Local, #SupportOurRiceFarmers”.

The celebration aims to impart the importance and advantage of eating safe and nutritious rice to consumers, instilling the value of patriotism in supporting the local rice farmers, and helping the Philippine rice industry as a whole.

One of the activities of NRAM is the launching of the book, “Appreciating Rice” written by the late award-winning agricultural journalist Anselmo Roque. This book will be useful to students, as it will introduce them to the anatomy, history, and processes that rice undergoes from the farm to consumers’ table and help them appreciate rice nutritional and cultural essence and its importance to the Filipino heritage.

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The author is Teacher II at Betis National High School