Iloilo city: The Department of Agriculture in Western Visayas (DA-6) marked the National Rice Awareness Month (NRAM) celebration with a series of activities that will culminate with the ‘Power Run for Rice’ on Saturday. In an interview on Thursday, DA-6 agri-fishery information section chief James Earl Ogatis said that the 5-kilometer fun run is open to farmers, DA employees, the private sector, and anyone interested in joining.

According to Philippines News Agency, there will be top three winners for finishers in the male and female categories, the oldest and youngest finishers, and the most captivating runner. Additionally, over 50 bags of 10 kilos and 25 kilos of well-milled rice and Be RICEponsible freebies will be raffled off. Meanwhile, DA will continue to accept entries for the Be RICEponsible photo contest, which is open to amateur and professional photographers from this region.

Participants are required to submit five photos depicting the theme, ‘A,B,K,D,’ and support for local farmers. They must post the photos on their Facebook account and submit them to the DA’s info email address. ‘A’ stands for adlay, mais, saba, etc., or staples mixed with rice; ‘B’ is for brown rice consumption; ‘K’ is for rice, which should not be wasted; and ‘D’ for purchasing Philippine rice.

Ogatis stated that the celebration serves as a venue to show respect to the agricultural sector, encouraging farmers to continue planting palay and minimizing wastage. He highlighted that every Filipino wastes about six grams of rice daily, which could feed millions if conserved. The initiative also campaigns for farmers to adopt climate change resilient rice varieties and reminds the public to support local rice by sourcing their requirements from local farmers.

Last week, the DA organized several activities, including distributing information and education campaign materials with 10 kilos of local rice. Every Wednesday, the agency holds a quiz bee among its employees to raise awareness of the rice program. They also conducted a quiz bee and a cooking contest among farmers, where participants used brown rice mixed with alternative staples like adlay, banana, corn, cassava, and sweet potato to encourage the younger generation to eat brown rice.