DA Chief with young artists

Agriculture Secretary Proceso J. Alcala poses with the five national winners of the 2012 World Food Day (WFD) on-the-spot poster-making contest during the culminating ceremonies, October 18, 2012, at Quezon City Memorial Circle. The young artists, who are public school elementary pupils, bested other 12 regional winners who depicted this year’s WFD theme, 'Agricultural cooperatives: Key to feeding the world.’ For their feat, they received P15,000 cash, plaque and an educational tour package. They are (from left): Cherizze Joy Carreon (Sarrat North Central, Ilocos Norte); Cheril Triol (Sto. Domingo, Iloilo City); Ralph James Bordios (Divisoria, Mexico, Pampanga); Ericka Balbuena (Tayum, Abra); and Jestoni Rubantes (East Bayugan Central, Agusan del Sur). The contest is held yearly as part of the week-long observance of World Food Day, in partnership with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). During the 2012 WFD culminating program—attended by 1,000 DA officials and staff and leaders of farmers’ and fisherfolk’s cooperatives—this year's six national 'Outstanding Rural Women' were also honored. The event was also graced by: actress-celebrity Ms ‘KC’ Concepcion, UN World Food Programme (WFP) Philippine ambassador against hunger; UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) country representative Kazuyuki Tsurumi; UN resident coordinator and UNDP representative Luiza Carvalho; WFP country director Stephen Anderson; and UNDP country director Toshihiro Tanaka. (Photo by: Alan Jay Jacalan, DA-Information Service)