PAPAYALICIOUS

By: Diana Jane H. Torcuato

“Health is Wealth.” Students should always be reminded that being healthy is important.
The month of July reminds people on how to take care of ones self and to be healthy by practicing
good health habits. Eat healthy together with regular exercise and a healthy lifestyle will ensure
the wealthiness of the body.

On July 22, 2019, Pantay Tamurong National High School celebrated the Nutrition Month
with the theme “Kumain ng Wasto at maging Aktibo, Push natin ‘to.” This event aims to remind
the students about the importance of eating healthy foods and to put their selves on a healthy
lifestyle. One of the highlight of this event is the Cookfest. Participants of each grade level cooked
different dishes with the main ingredient “papaya.” They cooked Papaya Balls, Papaya ala Fresh
Lumpia, Papaya Leche Flan, Puto Papaya, Papaya Okoy, and Atsara. But the dish that pulled the
judges tounge is the Papaya Okoy. This Papaya Okoy made by Grade 8 participants sounds unique
and delicious.

Healthy body is all we need. Eat, exercise, and learn proper diet. Push yourselves into
healty lifestyle.
 Loss of the Farmers
By: Diana Jane H. Torcuato

An article What You Can Do To Help Filipino Rice Farmers by Bianca Velasco from
Rappler.com states that the local rice farmers are suffering and are on the losing end since the
implementation of Republic Act No. 11203 or the Philippine Rice Tariffication Law. One of the
farmers who struggling about this issue is Mr. Gregorio “Miguel” Ferrer from Pangasinan.
Because of rice tariffication law he is nearly to give up farming as he only earns a profit of
P183.96 per day. With this law, pricres of rice can drop as low as P7 per kilo from P12 per kilo.
This tariffication law aimed to ensure the food security, make the country’s agricultural sector
viable and globally competitive by using tarifs, and stabilize food prices and inflation. Another
thing is what Cynthia Villar said, “Tama lang yung limang pisong tubo kada kilo ng palay: ang
problema kasi sa mga magsasaka, gusto nilang maging asendero.” That was probably not true.
Farmers sell their rice as exchange to their sacrifices. They want sell it on the proper price. Passing
this tariffication law was a sad moment for Filipino farmers because they were losing money
despite of their hardwork. Bantay Bigas said that the law had a negative impact on Filipino
farmers, highlighting the need to address the issue as soon as possible. “We have been warning
agaisnt this prior to the enactment of the law, and now we are now facing the destruction of the
rice farmers, the primary productive force of our national rice industry,” they said in the
statement. This article present six ways to contribute to the cause: (1) Urge local government units
to buy from local farmers, (2) buy locally produced rice instead of imported rice, (3) set up a
market for local farmers, (4) volunteer in an organization, (5) ask companies to buy [roduce from
local farmers, (6) share and amplify information about local farmers.

If I am the one to ask if I will agree to this Rice Tariffication Law, I will say no. I am not
agree in it because farmers give their full hard work in the farm to sell this rice and have people to
eat. In return, farmers need money in exchanfe to their sacrifices. Everyday, farmers consumed
their blood, sweat, and tears just to have golden seed of rice plants. Farmers are stuggling for loss
while consumers enjoying low prices? That’s not fair. Farmers should gain more.

If there’s no farmers, there’s no rice to eat. Learn to respect and give importance to our
farmers. They are not just farmers, they are our heros who gives rice for us to eat.