The Bacolod Sangguniang Panlungsod is urging the City Agriculture Office and the City Health Office under the Mayor's Office to encourage food establishments to offer brown rice as part of their regular menu.

The resolution authored by Councilor Sonya Verdeflor, chairman of the SP Committee on Agriculture and Fisheries, and approved by the SP Wednesday, said Bacolod being supportive of the rice self-sufficiency program of the national government, is exploring viable means to facilitate the attainment of the program.

  “The government is desirous of improving the nutritional value of rice as a staple food. Brown rice or unpolished rice is the whole grain form of rice and is, therefore, nutritionally superior than white rice in terms of protein, dietary fiber, B1, B2 and B9 vitamins and Vitamin E, minerals and antioxidants,” the resolution said.

According to some researches, brown rice or unpolished rice could help reduce the incidence of type 2 diabetes, cardio-vascular diseases, and could lower blood pressure, the resolution added.

Brown rice or unpolished rice has higher milling recovery than white rice and therefore could help in the attainment of rice self-sufficiency, it said.

The Department of Agriculture-Philippine Rice Research Institute is spearheading a campaign called “Be RICEponsible” to promote better health and help in the achievement of rice self-sufficiency through the promotion of brown rice, the resolution added.*CGS

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