Several legislators expressed their support for the BeRICEponsible campaign of the National Rice Awareness Month (NRAM) as they visited the recent exhibit titled, “Palay. Bigas. Kanin. Alamin” at the Senate building in Pasay City.
The lawmakers affirmed their commitment to the campaign by endorsing the ABKD practices: (A) Adlay, mais, saba, atbp. ay ihalo sa kanin; (B) Brown Rice ay kainin; (K) Kanin ay huwag sayangin; at (D) Dapat bigas ng Pilipinas ang bilhin by signing the BeRICEponsible pledge wall.
The exhibit, co-hosted by Philippine Rice Research Institute and the office of Senator Loren Legarda, was attended by Senators Pia and Alan Peter Cayetano, Cynthia Villar, Raffy Tulfo, Bong Go, and JV Ejercito. Representatives Mark Cojuangco, Wilbert Lee, and Joey Salceda, and DA undersecretary for Rice Industry Development Leocadio Sebastian also participated in the event.
“We often overlook the significance of everyday things, and we hope that these kinds of exhibits make us look inward at how we consume and waste a precious commodity,” Legarda said.
The Senate staff and employees also participated in the event and learned about the rice journey from the field (palay) to harvest (bigas), and finally to our tables (kanin).
The exhibits showcased various aspects, including the PhilRice Genebank, rice breeding processes, milling techniques using portable and pedal-type brown rice machines, and the essence of the BeRICEponsible campaign.
Senator Pia Cayetano, impressed by the pedal-operated brown rice machine, expressed her interest in proposing to distribute it to small rice farm shareholders. This proposal received support from Legarda, who remarked, “Donating these machines to barangays would be truly beneficial, providing them with the means to produce brown rice.”
Dr. Hazel Antonio, the lead for NRAM celebrations, supported this initiative. She explained how the machine would be beneficial, stating, “The issue with Brown Rice is that it tends to become rancid quickly. Allowing local rice shareholders to acquire this machine will assist them in milling Brown Rice and having it fresh whenever needed.”
Moreover, the exhibits created awareness on PhilRice programs, the MASAGANA Rice Industry Development Program, and the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund.
