DA Caraga intensifies NYR advocacy

By Johny S. Natad

BUTUAN CITY, Sept. 6 (PIA) -- The Department of Agriculture (DA) Caraga has been strengthening its promotion and advocacy on the National Year of Rice (NYR) with the theme, "Sapat na bigas, Kaya ng Pinas."

Caraga DA Regional Agriculture and Fisheries Information Division (RAFID) officer-in-charge Rebecca Atega during the Rise for Rice Legislators' Congress on August 29 revealed that the agency and its attached agencies such as the National Food Authority (NFA), National Irrigators Association (NIA), Agricultural Training Institute (ATI) and PhilRice are intensifying campaign and sponsorship on NYR.

Atega bared that two tablespoons of wasted rice everyday can able to feed 2.7 million of Filipinos every year, thus, it is essential to conserve rice as everybody's action advocacy.

"As rice consumer, everyone has role in achieving rice self-sufficiency and not to waste rice. Also eating brown rice and mixing rice with other staples are worth trying," she added.

She said that the department has also produced print IEC materials like fans, info ads, posters, briefers, tarpaulins and souvenir items like shirts, car stickers, and button pins.

Other promotion strategies that the DA Caraga has been doing include the regional and provincial launching and display of the NYR tarpaulins and advocacy posters to DA offices, other departments, private agencies and NGOs and the presentation of the NYR campaign in national workshops/conferences and inclusion of NYR ads and Panata in the souvenir programs.

"We are also encouraging participation of every student in schools and during every other government activity the recitation of 'Panatang Makapalay'which was started during the Simultaneous National Commitment Day and this will be continuously included during the flag ceremonyevents/conventions/trainings at schools and DA offices in the entire region," Atega said.

Atiea also bared other  activities like the NYR 2013 Info-Caravan on September 10-11; call for submission of NYR Short Film Contest and Photography Contest until September 25; World Food Day on October; National Rice Awareness Month and Short Film and Photography Contest Awarding on November. (FEA/JSN/PIA-Caraga)