Rice Forum @ Waterfront Hotel Cebu

I was back in Cebu over the weekend. First reason was to attend a "rice forum" as mama coined it. The president of the grains retailers association in Davao invited her to attend the forum. She thought that they would be forming a new association in Cebu to strengthen bonds so that complaints will have more weight in the eyes of government. I thought it would be fun to meet possible business contacts from Cebu and so I obliged. Straight from the airport, I went to attend the forum last Saturday, Oct. 5, 2008. When I reached the venue, to my surprise, the "rice forum" turned out to be the "Philippine Grains Stakeholders Consultative Forum!" Imagine my surprise as Department of Agriculture secretary Arthur Yap, Cebu's Vice mayor Rama, and National Food Authority (NFA) directors nationwide were present in the forum! To make matters worst, I had no intention of paying the 3,500 pesos registration fee! I was sent only to listen to the forum and not really participate in the discussion and partake in the meals. Luckily, the registration booth was inefficient and I was able to sneak in without paying hehehe (^o^)/

I was able to listen to the concerns of the farmers, millers, traders, retailers, and the consumers. The NFA was there to present their past and future projects as well. Nothing new was really presented in the forum and I could not believe that a ballroom session was scheduled to be part of the program. I guess it really was more of a socialization event rather than a consultation forum.

I really didn't get anything out of the forum but I was happy to see a familiar face in the crowd. A friend I knew back when I was still working in Cebu who is now thinking of running his own seeding farm. He was there only to observe as well but he passed by the registration booth which required him to pay. In exchange, he got a green envelope with a green T-shirt inside both printed with the forum's title. hihihi (^o^)v

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