Rice is an essential part of meals in the Philippines and many Asian countries. Recently, I had an adventure in Hindang, Leyte, Philippines where I walked through a rice field. I was excited to discover the rice fields and took a closer look at them. It was my first time seeing a rice field and a rice plant, which left me amazed and delighted.
Seeing the rice fields for the first time filled me with joy and made me appreciate the Philippines even more. The country is blessed with a wealth of beautiful landscapes, natural resources, and abundant sources of food, exemplified by these stunning fields of rice. As someone used to seeing only cornfields and sugar cane plantations, the sight left me in awe.
While traveling in the area, I came to know about the presence of rice fields and decided to take a stroll and explore the place. The scenic rice fields of Hindang, Leyte,Philippines, were truly breathtaking and left me spellbound.
The landscape is dominated by vast rice fields, stretching out for hectares in every direction. It's a breathtaking sight, but walking through them can be quite exhausting. I can only imagine what it would be like to stroll through cornfields that are as big as a hectare in Cebu city.
The scale of these fields is truly
massive, and they're located right off the highway, providing plenty of space for a leisurely walk, jog, or stroll. Not only will you be treated to stunning views of the fields, but you'll also be able to enjoy the fresh air and listen to the sweet songs of chirping birds, it's a truly relaxing experience.
Here, the rice field is filled with water for irrigation as rice requires a lot of water to grow. It's fascinating to see the proper irrigation techniques used by the field owners, which I had only read about in my primary school books before.
Upon examining the photos, I noticed the farmers planting rice. It immediately brought to mind the famous Filipino song ”Magtanim Ay Di Biro Maghapong Nakayuko”. This song celebrates the farmers' way and methodology of planting, highlighting the hard work they do to provide staple food for the people, such as rice.
While walking around the rice fields, I was amazed by the number of farmers working diligently to tend to the rice plants. Although I am not familiar with the process of planting rice, I observed that there are numerous steps involved, and all the farmers worked together to ensure that each step was carried out correctly. Proper care and cultivation of these plants are crucial to ensure their growth and harvestability.
Here is what rice looks like up close. At first, I thought these were just the normal cogon grass plants.
Here are the other things I saw while walking around the rice field.
As I strolled through the rice field, I came to a realization about the value and importance of our farmers. Imagining all the hard work and processes they go through just to provide food for everyone made me feel proud and grateful. While machines can do some of the work, nothing compares to the dedication and effort of these hard-working people.
I realized we never waste any bit of rice grains, especially during meals, because, as we all know these days, the price of rice has increased so much from the usual price that we pay it has gone up almost twice. So therefore, it is always a clear sign that we must learn to save rice and food in general.
Til my next adventure! Ciao!☺︎♡