Cash prizes await winners of rice photo, stamp design tilts

Cash prizes and citations await winners in two contests launched as among the activities celebrating International Year of Rice (IYR) 2004.

The ongoing tilts are the photo and national stamp design contents.

Deadline for the photo contest has been moved to Aug. 17 while that of the stamp design contest has been reset to Aug. 20. Entries in both contests should revolve around the IYR 2004 theme "Rice is Life".

The photo contest is open to professional and amateur photographers. The first prize winner will receive P25,000; the second placer, P15,000; and the third, P10,000.

The photo contest is sponsored by the Asia Rice Foundation (ARF) through its Philippine office at SEARCA on the UP Los Baños campus in Los Baños, Laguna.

Chaired by former UP president Dr. Emil Q. Javier, ARF is a nonprofit organization that aims to mobilize and provide support for research, education, cultural and advocacy movements that promote public appreciation of the role of rice in the diverse cultures of Asia.

President Arroyo has issued Proclamation 524 (Philippine Celebration of International Year of Rice) to affirm the government’s commitments to the goals of IYR 2004, which are food security, reduction of poverty, environmental sustainability, and cultural heritage.

The government, particularly the Department of Agriculture-Philippine Rice Research Institute (DA-PhilRice), and the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) have played a key role in the campaign for the United Nations to proclaim 2004 as IYR.

The photo entries can tackle any aspect on rice from production and harvesting to marketing and consumption, or rice cultural heritage from beliefs, rituals, festivals, and various forms of art.

All entries should be in prints from negatives, slides, or digital images that are of reproduction quality. Multiple exposure, composites, and manipulated images are not included.

The following must be written at the back of each print entry, photo title, place and data photo was taken, name of photographer and address, telephone number, e-mail address, and other contact details.

Entries and queries must be sent to the ARF, SEARCA, UP Los Baños campus, 4031, tel/fax (63-49) 536-2285.

The national stamp design contest is sponsored by DA, Philippine Postal Corp. (PHILPOST), Department of Education (DepEd), Commission on Higher Education (CJED), and United Nations Information Center (UNIC).

It is open to all elementary, high school and college students from public and private schools nationwide.

The first prize winner, elementary category, will receive P15,000; the second prize winner, P10,000; and the third, P5,000.

In the high school level, the first prize winner will receive P20,000, the second, P15,000; and the third, P10,000.

In the college level, the first prize winner gets P25,000; the second, P20,000; and the third, P15,000.

All first prize winners will receive the United Nations Plaque of Recognition and IYR 2004 Special Commemorative Frame. They will also be featured as IYR 2004 Special Commemorative Stamps, which will be launched this October.

The entry must be the artist’s original artwork done by hand on an 8 3/4 x 11 1/2-inch (vertical) white illustration board, using crayons, pastel, or water colors.

The following must be written and attached to the back of the entry; name and address of the artist and his/her school, school level, and region.

Each artwork must be accompanied by a write-up or interpretation of the design (at most 100 words) written on an A4-size bond paper.

Participants should place the entry in a brown envelope and mail to: IYR 2004 National Stamps Design Contest Committee, Philippine Postal Corp., 3rd floor Manila Central PO building, 1000 Liwasang Bonifacio, Manila.

Only the registered or domestic express mail services of the local post offices should be used. Entries sent through other couriers are automatically disqualified.

Entries must be postmarked not later than Agu. 20, 2004. – Rudy A. Fernandez