Local governments in Science City of Muñoz and San Jose City, Nueva Ecija are tapping households to improve rice preparation and consumption in an effort to address nutrition concerns and reduce food waste. A 2025 report from the Department of Health showed that more than 1,500 children under five in said cities are stunted while more than 140,000 individuals in Central Luzon are living with diabetes. Meanwhile, more than 500,000 […]
Special rice varieties being promoted under the Department of Agriculture–Philippine Rice Research Institute’s (DA-PhilRice) Healthier Rice Program are gaining attention for their potential to address persistent nutrition and health challenges in the country. In recent activities with University of Tokyo students and farmers in Northeastern Luzon, participants were introduced to rice types enriched with essential nutrients, including high-zinc rice, low-glycemic index rice, brown rice, pigmented rice, and beta carotene-enriched Malusog […]
In time for the 2025 Nutrition Month celebration, the Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) in Negros Occidental has marked its first harvest of high-zinc rice through a ceremonial “Unang Ani” on July 3 at the station’s experimental fields. “With Nutrition Month putting the spotlight on healthy food, our high-zinc rice shows that the solution to hidden hunger can begin right at our dining table,” said Ommal H. Abdulkadil, PhilRice Negros […]
Filipinos will soon have access to significant dietary advantages in addressing the prevalence of zinc deficiency as the Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) has begun scaling up the production of two zinc-rich rice varieties. Intended to provide seeds for expanding production across the Visayas, PhilRice in Murcia, Negros Occidental, planted NSIC Rc 460 and NSIC Rc 648, which contain more zinc than the ordinary rice. Deficiency in micronutrients such as […]
Two studies on beta carotene-enriched Malusog Rice received top awards at the 2024 International Conference for Crop Science and Breeding hosted by the Society for the Advancement of Breeding Research in Asia and Oceania (SABRAO) in partnership with the Crop Science Society of the Philippines (CSSP), Aug. 12-16. The studies highlighted the nutritional quality and consumer acceptance of the innovative rice variety designed to combat vitamin A deficiency (VAD) in […]
