ILOILO City – Every wasted grain can feed more families, according to the Department of Agriculture (DA). It encourages Western Visayans to be responsible rice consumers to avoid wastage.
Data from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) showed, on the daily average, at least nine grams of rice per person go to waste.
“Kon i-multiply naton ini sa minilyon ka mga Plipino, pila na ina ka sako sang bugas nga pwede pa tani makaon sang iban nga pumoluyo,” said James Ogatis, regional information officer of DA in Region 6.
Usually, food wastage can be incurred during harvest time, at home and in restaurants, according to Ogatis.
November is the National Rice Awareness Month (NRAM).
During harvest, rice grains can be wasted when collecting rice for threshing or using harvesters.
“That’s why ginaduso gid naton ang maayo nga farm mechanization kag pag mintinar sang sini nga mga makinarya. Indi lang isa ukon duha ka tawo ang maka benepisyo sini kundi kabilogan nga mga miembro sang mga farmers associations,” said Ogatis.
As to households, rice left overs must be avoided, said Ogatis.
Ogatis also advised the public to estimate the rice they would be cooking and make sure it could be entirely consumed by the household members.
“Likawan man naton nga maduhol na lang kita sang kan-on sa aton baba mahulog pa sa kutsara. Uboson gid naton dapat ang aton sinamo or magkuha lang sang enough nga kan-on nga maubos,” he added.
Ogatis also reminded the young ones: “Magsun-ad sang tinig-ang dapat bantayan gid para indi mabatok. Kay ang iban masun-ad sang tinig-ang kag maghampang games, kis-a malipatan kag madumdoman lang kon manimaho na.”
Unconsumed leftovers in restaurants also contributed a lot. There are some who will order one cup of rice and eat only half of it, while others, in a buffet setting, will get much rice and could not consume it all.
“We have already coordinated sa aton mga local government units. We are glad sa Iloilo City may ara kita mga ordinansa nga sa mga canteens, restos nga pwede maka-serve one-half cup rice. Maka-less ka na sa imo bayaran, makabulig ka pa sa rice sufficiency sang aton gobyerno,” Ogatis stressed.
On the other hand, this year’s celebration with the theme, “Be RICEponsibly healthy,” also encourages Filipinos to eat healthier rice, or those locally produced such as brown and red rice.
“Magkaon sang brown rice or unpolished rice nga mas sustansya. Subong man red rice and other alternative foods like kamote, balinghoy kag saging nga sab-a,” said Ogatis.
The Rice Awareness Month is also celebrated to honor farmers.
“Ang mga farmers naton amo gid ‘ni sila ang naga paseguro nga may bastante kita nga pagkaon sa aton lamesa. Without the farmers, mabudlayan kita sa pag-sustain sang aton kinahanglanon nga pagkaon,” Ogatis stressed./PN
