PAGADIAN CITY (PIA) – The Department of Agriculture (DA) recently showcased innovative ways to prepare and enjoy rice through a rice-based cooking demonstration aimed at transforming the Filipino staple into diverse culinary creations.
As part of the National Filipino Food Month celebration, the event gathered 30 Technical and Livelihood Education (TLE) teachers from the city, offering them the opportunity to explore rice-based drinks, desserts, and savory dishes made from both fresh and leftover rice.
Yvette Avellaneda, information section chief of DA Zamboanga Peninsula, emphasized the importance of making the most of every grain. “Let’s maximize the use of rice. You can’t avoid having leftovers, but they can still be used, we can still make the most of them,” she said.
She also noted, “Usually, rice comes with a viand. But in this program, even rice alone can become the viand. You can even make drinks out of rice. That’s how creative Filipinos are.”
The event sparked enthusiasm among the attendees, including Pileta Savellano, a TLE teacher from a private high school in the city. She shared, “With today’s activity, I felt challenged. I gained ideas and techniques on how to prepare vegetables in ways that can attract or encourage children to eat them.”
Gina Oliver, a TLE teacher from a public high school in the city, also expressed her appreciation. “The activity was very good and informative. The presentation was especially helpful for us TLE teachers because we can pass on the knowledge we learned here to our students,” she said.
John San Juan, one of the demonstrators, shared his hopes for the program’s lasting impact, “We’re hoping that they will apply these ideas to their respective schools.”
Some of the rice recipes presented during the demonstration include the Rice Veggie Roll, Caramelized Gummy Rice, Rice Milk, Tortang Kanin, and Morisqueta Chavacana.
With the activity, DA expresses hope to feed more children in school and also at home. The department also challenges the participants to continue innovating and making a difference in their communities. (EDT/CCP/JCN/PIA-Zamboanga del Sur)
