BACOLOD City – The City Legal Office’s enforcement team was urged to “strictly implement” City Ordinance No. 08-14-704, which directs food establishments in the city to serve half-rice orders.
The ordinance aims to mitigate rice wastage in Bacolod, reiterated Councilor Bartolome Orola, its author.
Orola stressed that rice – being a Filipino staple food – must not be wasted.
“Rice wastage is an increasing concern that needs to be addressed, not just in the city but in the whole Philippines,” he added.
The Department of Agriculture and the Philippine Rice Institute are “aggressive” in promoting the “Be RICEponsible” campaign, an initiative to encourage the public to be responsible in consuming rice.
According to Orola, City Ordinance No. 08-14-704 – which was passed in 2014 – is a response to the campaign.
Rice must not only be produced, it should also be valued, stressed the Department of Agriculture (DA) Region 6 – Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice).
Hence, the relationship between farmers as producers and consumers as eaters should be nurtured, they stressed.
Last month in Iloilo City, DA-6 and PhilRice launched the 2018 National Rice Awareness Month celebration.
Rice security is a function of both production and consumption, according to the two government agencies.
Making safe and nutritious rice affordable, accessible and available at all times does not depend on farmers alone but also on the consuming public at the receiving end, they stressed.
Rice must not be wasted, according to DA-PhilRice.
Consumers were challenged, too, to eat not only white rice but also brown rice and rice-corn blend./PN
