For most children in rural areas of the country, the processes of rice production are common knowledge and are usually taught from an early age at schools or probably by their parents.  But for some children in cosmopolitan cities like Makati, Metro Manila, knowledge about rice doesn’t go beyond their home kitchens. Things are changing though.

As part of the celebration of the National Rice Awareness month this coming November, the Department of Agriculture-Philippine Rice Research Institute (DA-PhilRice), in collaboration with the Department of Agriculture-GMA Rice Program is bringing the knowledge and appreciation of rice science to young children particularly in the more urbanized areas of the country where rice production is none-existent.

One of the schools visited by DA-PhilRice, at the request of its teachers and students, was the Cambridge Child Development Center (CCDC) in Makati.

Mr. Glen Ilar, Head of the Technology Management and Services Division of DA-PhilRice, along with technical assistant, Maria Eda Apple Suplido, and GMA-Rice Program specialist, 

Emerson Yago, visited and held lectures for the pre-school kids of CCDC about rice science and its importance to Filipinos which awed and opened the curiosity of these children.

“It was difficult giving lectures about rice production to very young children since our audience and participants for this topic are usually adults. But it was a very enjoyable experience for us,” said Ilyar.

The kids were also shown rice of different varieties and colors as well as taught about how rice is produced and the care needed to grow them.  

“To better appreciate rice and how it is produced, we even let the children plant rice in pots filled with soil,” adds Ilar.

As one of the prime movers for the celebration of the “National Rice Awareness Month”, DA-PhilRice aims to spur more interest among students about our country’s most important crop and staple.