CALAMBA CITY, Laguna (PIA) — The Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) has launched a campaign that will ensure food sufficiency and lead to healthier food choices for Filipinos.
Through the A-B-K-D advocacy, PhilRice aims to encourage the public to adopt the A-B-K-D concept in their daily lives and become ‘RICEponsible’ citizens.
In an interview with the Philippine Information Agency Calabarzon’s Usapang PIA program, Imelda Olvida, senior science research specialist at PhilRice, said a new advocacy dubbed “A-B-K-D” promotes responsible rice consumption and provides healthy food options to consumers.
“The A-B-K-D campaign aims to inspire individuals to become RICEponsible and improve their health while helping our farmers achieve the goal of sufficient rice supply in the Philippines,” said Olvida.
The ‘A’ stands for “Adlay, Mais, Saba atbp. ay ihalo sa kanin” mixing rice with crops such as adlay, mais, and saba, which are high in energy, potassium, and fiber.
The agency believes that this practice will reduce rice consumption while still providing essential nutrients and satiety.
‘B’ stands for “Brown Rice ay Kainin” (Eat Brown Rice). This encourages the consumption of brown rice, which is a nutritious alternative to the more common white rice.
“Brown rice is rich in protein, fiber, Vitamin C, B1, B2, B9, and antioxidants. It also helps prevent type two diabetes, cancer, cardiovascular diseases, and high blood pressure,” explained Olvida.
The ‘K’ and ‘D’ emphasize PhilRice’s support for farmers’ efforts to provide food by promoting “Kanin ay Huwag Sayangin” (Don’t Waste Rice) and “Dapat Bigas ng Pilipinas ang Bilhin” (Buy Philippine Rice).
