Kidapawan City – Rachel Tan-Renucci, who, along with her French husband, Patrick, owns the now famous Dalisay Rice produced by Leyte farmers and processed in a P1.8-B modern rice processing complex in Alang-Alang, Leyte yesterday experienced real farm life as she joined me in feeding my free-range chicken, checking on Boer and Dairy goats and eating Red Macopa picked straight from the tree.
Born to a rich family which produced a famous cooking oil brand, Rachel initially felt awkward feeding a flock of free-range chicken, holding a black Manok Pinoy hen and was wide-eyed seeing trays of brown eggs.
Later, however, I saw her flash a girlish smile as she experienced eating fruits, Red Macopa, picked straight from the tree.
I also saw her interest in the goats that I raise in the farms and was extremely delighted to see how a rubber tree produces the latex used in making car tires.
Later, in an early evening dinner where she was joined by North Cotabato Governor Nancy Catamco and members of a medical team from the Alumni Association of the University of the Philippines, she literally devoured one whole Manok Pinoy lechon and feasted on Durian and mango.
Rachel’s visit in my farm yesterday came after she turned over to several local government units 800 bags or 40 tons of premium rice, Golden Dinorado, which she and her husband donated for the earthquake affected areas in Davao del Sur and North Cotabato.
The philanthropic gesture is not new to the Renucci couple.
In 2014, shortly after Super Typhoon Yolanda battered Eastern Visayas, the Renucci couple, driven by an unusual desire to help, gave up a comfortable life in Paris with their daughter and moved to the rice farming town of Alang-Alang, Leyte.
There, they started working with rice farmers with the help of technicians, bought modern farm equipment used to develop the rice fields, extended loans and technical support to improve the productivity.
Then, they invested on a modern rice processing complex worth P1.8-B which now produces the famous Dalisay Rice which was adjudged as one of the best eating quality rice during the recent international rice forum in Manila.
Things did not happen easily for the couple. The first years were a struggle as farmers who availed off loans pole-vaulted and a contractor who was engaged to build a facility inside the processing complex ran off with about P40-M in advance payment.
I met the couple in 2017 through then PhilRice Executive Director Dr. Sailila Abdula, a Maguindanao rice breeder who I brought with me when I was appointed Secretary of Agriculture in 2016.
At the time, the Renucci couple was so down-hearted because of the setbacks they faced in the early stages of the project meant to help the people of Leyte.
Through Dr. Abdula, the Department of Agriculture assisted the Renucci couple by providing them with additional technical support and helping them choose a rice variety adaptable to the soil and climatic conditions of Leyte while at the same time possessing good eating quality.
That was when Dalisay Rice, which they also call Golden Dinorado, was produced using an inbred rice variety developed by PhilRice.
As Secretary of Agriculture, I visited the facility three times – first was when it was still under construction and later during its inauguration by President Rody Duterte shortly after I submitted my resignation from the Agriculture portfolio.
Today, the couple starts to reap the fruits of their hard labor. In the recent international conference, Dailsay Rice was ranked 3rd, behind Thailand’s Jasmine Rice, in best eating quality and it is now sold at premium price in major supermarkets.
While they have realised their dream, the desire to help people in distress still burns.
Shortly after the series of earthquakes last month, I received a call from Dr. Abdula who said that the Renucci couple wanted to donate 40 tons or two truck loads of the premium Golden Dinorado to the earthquake stricken areas.
The Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA) arranged for the shipment of the rice from Alang-Alang, Leyte to North Cotabato where it was equitably divided yesterday among the local government units of areas affected by the earthquake.
While Patrick failed to join his wife in the Coitabato visit as he was undergoing medical check-up, Rachel’s visit to my farm yesterday was a testament to the friendship we developed while we were all engrossed in the mission of helping the Filipino people.
At dinner last night, I introduced to Rachel the Organic Red Rice produced by Mindanao farmers and suggested a tie-up between them and the organic rice farmers to introduce to the bigger market a unique product – Black and Brown Organic rice.
I saw her eyes twinkle.
(Photos by Diane Faith Garcia)
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