EAT MORE BROWN RICE - DA

The Department of Agriculture in the Ilocos has pushed for the production and consumption of more brown rice as a healthy alternative to regular rice.

The DA kicked off the month-long celebration of the National Rice Awareness Month (NRAM) last Nov. 2 with its program “Be RICEponsible in your Own Way Now (BROWN) for good.”

The program encourages more production and consumption of brown rice (pinawa in Tagalog) - an unpolished whole kernel produced by removing only the hull or husk of rough rice while leaving the bran layer intact.

Dr. Paz L. Mones, DA regional rice program coordinator, shared the health benefits of brown rice through her own experience.

“Before, my sugar and cholesterol level was high so I was taking my maintenance medicines but both became stable when I started consuming brown rice. Now, I no longer take any maintenance drugs,” said Mones.

She also said that apart from its nutritional value, brown rice also contributes to the nation’s self-sufficiency.

“If each Filipino would eat brown rice thrice a month, our importation would shrink by an average of 50,000 metric tons per year,” Mones added.

Dr. Eduardo M. Gonzales, regional technical director for research and regulation, also said that while brown rice is promoted, the DA also encourages the public to support the Be RICEponsible campaign.

“All must treat rice a really valuable product. For example, every Filipino family throws away two tablespoons of rice per meal thereby losing thousands of tons of cooked rice. Imagine the number of people that could have been fed with that loss,” Gonzales said.

He further said that people should only eat what they can consume to avoid rice wastage.

Other activities in line with the celebration also include several lectures on the Be RICEponsible campaign and Run for Rice fun run.

DA also requests government employees to eat brown rice on Wednesdays and rice mix on Fridays.

Local government units are advised to create a local ordinance directing food establishments to serve one half cup of rice.

Schoolchildren also recite the Panatang Makapalay during their flag ceremony.

NRAM is celebrated every November pursuant to Presidential Proclamation No. 524 issued on January 5, 2014. #  Source - (MCA/ Joanne Namnama P. Dilim/PIA-1 La Union).