Lea Salonga 'Ambassador' for World Food Day

Singer and stage artist Lea Salonga will be the special guest in ceremonies marking the weeklong celebration of the 2011 World Food Day (WFD) Monday

Salonga was appointed last year by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations (UN) as one of the four goodwill ambassadors to help in the global fight against hunger. The others are Canadian singer Celine Dion, American actress Susan Sarandon and Italian actor Raoul Bova.

Agriculture Secretary Proceso J. Alcala said the Department of Agriculture (DA) has partnered with the FAO in observing World Food Day in the Philippines every October 16.

Alcala said the celebration started in 1980 to drum up support for food security for all in the fight against world hunger and malnutrition.

It is also the founding anniversary of the FAO, which was organized in October 16, 1979 by UN member-countries, including the Philippines.

This year’s theme — "Food prices - from crisis to stability" — focuses on creating global awareness on factors that cause food price increases, and enjoining national and local governments, the private sector, farmers’ and fishers’ groups and individuals to implement initiatives and programs to reduce the impact of steep food prices on the poor and weakest members of society.

Alcala said the DA has lined up activities starting today at the DA central office, featuring the agency’s program thrusts, particularly on achieving food staple sufficiency.

Various DA agencies and private enterprises will also conduct product exhibits on major staples, vegetables, iron-fortified rice, livestock and dairy products and animals, and fishery products.

Also lined up are technology demonstrations and seminars on aquaphonics system, urban aquaculture, and orna-mental fish production.

Other events include lectures on the production and commercialization of adlai, vermiculture, biomass, and organic fertilizers.

Tuesday, October 11, DA, in partnership with the Office of Quezon City Vice Mayor Joy Belmonte will launch a "Gulayan sa Paaralan" project at Emilio Aguinaldo Elementary School in Murphy, Quezon City.

The department implements school (Gulayan sa Paaralan) and community (Gulayan sa Barangay) gardening proj-ects nationwide — in partnership with local government units, Department of Education (DepEd), congressional districts, and the private sector — to provide families and their children nutritious vegetables for home consumption and additional source of income.

By MARVYN N. BENANING