SCIENCE CITY OF MUNOZ, Nueva Ecija –The Department of Agriculture (DA) has lined up various activities to urge the public to be responsible rice consumers.
The move is in line with the celebration of National Rice Awareness Month (NRAM) this November.
With the theme, “Ready? SET rice! RICEponsible Filipinos save rice, eat healthy, and try brown rice,” this year’s celebration encourages the public to eat the right proportion of the staple and its healthy forms such as brown rice and rice mixes.
RICEponsible is a word play on rice and responsible.
“The Philippines is still no doubt a rice-loving country. With the various diseases associated to eating too much rice, however, it is imperative to increase Filipinos’ awareness on how to enjoy our rice, the healthy way,” Myriam G. Layaoen, Be Riceponsible campaign director, said.
Layaoen said the NRAM celebration kicked off on Monday with the launching of pedal-type brown rice mill, technology bulletin, and “Si Malakas at Maganda: Colored Rice Exhibition.”
The DA will spearhead the Brown Rice Day on November 10 and Rice Mix Day on November 17 in partnership with the Hotel and Restaurant Association of the Philippines.
Likewise, he said the RICEponsible Plate Challenge, a social media contest that encourages consumers to prepare the healthiest and most balanced meal in a plate, will be conducted throughout the month.
He added that the month-long celebration will also promote pigmented rice varieties through a Fernando Amorsolo-inspired rice exhibition curated by PhilRice’s Rice Science Museum.
Meanwhile, brown rice is further introduced through feeding programs.
“We encourage the public to be calorie-wise. A Harvard School of Public Health study has reported that the carbohydrate content of a bowl of rice is equivalent to two cans of soft drink. To be healthy, rice should only be 33% of our plate. Instead of white rice, we may want to consider brown and pigmented rice; and eat more corn grits, saba, cassava, and camote,” Layaoen added. (PNA)
