Nueva Ecija to honor Alex Eala in rice paddy art

The FutureRice Farm is set to feature Filipina tennis star Alex Eala in a rice paddy art installation at a rice field in Nueva Ecija.

In a social media post on 13 August, the FutureRice Farm said seedlings for the artwork featuring Eala’s image had been planted. Members of the PhilRice Tennis Club, along with representatives from the Tarlac City Agriculture Office and Talavera Municipal Agriculture Office, helped with the planting.

PhilRice Tennis Club member King De Leon said the activity was symbolic as it linked tennis with the club’s agricultural advocacy.

“Magandang pagkakataon ito para maipakita hindi lamang ang pag-usbong ng tennis sa bansa kundi pati na rin ang pagkamalikhain sa paggawa ng rice paddy art,” De Leon said.

Social media influencer Karen Lou Nuñez, a midwife and Be RICEponsible campaign ambassador, highlighted the dedication of farmers after experiencing the difficulty of planting rice herself.

She urged the public not to waste rice, saying every grain represents the hardships and sacrifices of Filipino farmers.

“Abangang mabuo ang living canvas ni Alex Eala sa susunod na buwan,” De Leon said.

The FutureRice Farm, operated by the Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) in Science City of Muñoz, Nueva Ecija, is a 5-hectare model and agritourism site. It showcases smart-farming technologies, renewable energy and precision agriculture aimed at making rice farming more sustainable, profitable and appealing to younger generations.

The farm is known for its large-scale anamorphic portraits of public figures and national milestones, created through rice paddy art using traditional purple and colored-leaf rice varieties.