Consumption of healthier and nutritious forms of rice is being pushed for by the Department of Agriculture (DA) as the country celebrates National Rice Awareness Month (NRAM).
NRAM is being celebrated every November per Presidential Proclamation No. 524 series of 2004 to raise awareness on responsible rice consumption as necessary in solving malnutrition and poverty and promoting rice self-sufficiency.
“We have been faced by the COVID-19 pandemic for almost two years, and it is just appropriate and relevant to have the Be RICEponsibly Healthy theme as we observe the NRAM this 2021,” said DA Western Visayas (WV) Regional Executive Director Remelyn R. Recoter.
Rice, as the primary food staple of the country, is among the three crops that obtained the highest of production in 2020, she added.
“I would like to thank our rice farmers for their labor in production even we are in the pandemic. Western Visayas has a 4.7 percent growth rate in terms of production value in 2020, which is the highest among the regions. And the crop sector constitutes mainly rice, sugarcane and watermelon reached 10.2 percent growth last year,” Recoter explained.
She likewise urged the public to consume healthier rice options, including brown rice or locally known as ‘pinawa’ and other pigmented rice. Eating brown rice regularly can help prevent health problems like cancer and cardiovascular diseases. It also benefits local rice farmers since they can get a higher milling recovery rate in producing brown rice than white rice by 10 percent.
Considering the Philippines has the lowest level of pesticide use, the public should opt to buy locally grown rice for it is safe and healthier to consume. Patronizing local rice is tantamount to supporting the local rice growers, according to DA. The department likewise advocates the non-wastage of rice to attain rice security.
Meanwhile, DA-6 has conducted a feeding activity in two COVID-19 vaccination sites in Iloilo City –Ateneo De Iloilo and SM City Iloilo– on November 23 that benefitted 500 frontliners, youths and their guardians.
Also, part of the NRAM activities in the region is the Rice Photography and Short Video Making Contests, in which the participants could get the opportunity to win up to P10,000 cash, rice, and various advocacy freebies. Meanwhile, by simply posting their ‘riceponsibly healthy’ meal on Facebook, 10 netizens in Region 6 who posted photos with the highest number of FB reactions will be given 50 kilograms of rice each.
Winners of the said contests will be awarded on November 29 in the NRAM culmination in the region./WDJ