Half rice serving in restos backed by DA

The Department of Agriculture (DA) expressed support for the half-cup rice initiative to minimize food wastage. 

In Bernadette Reyes’ Monday report on "24 Oras," a group reminded the public to only eat what they can as millions of sacks of rice are wasted in the country every year.

In one restaurant, one plastic of rice is wasted every day.

“In everyday na ano natin, meron po talaga kahit paano, mga half rice or minsan one fourth,” restaurant owner Ryan Ballesteros said.

(In our everyday operation, we observe that half a cup or one-fourth of rice is being wasted by customers.)

A study found that each Filipino wastes more than six and a half grams of rice every day. It may be more than one spoon, but if discarded rice were collected, it could reach 255,000 metric tons (MT) or around 5 million sacks of rice a year.

“Pag pinagsama sama po natin yon sa lahat ng population during that year, kaya niya magpakain ng 2.79 million Filipinos for a year,” said Hazel Antonio Beltran, head of the Development and Communication Division of the Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice).

(If all the discarded rice were accumulated, it could feed 2.79 million Filipinos for a year.)

“Ako po nagagalit ako pag di inuubos. Sinasabi ko pag kakain kayo yung kaya nyo lang ubusin,” said mother Rosie Franco.)

(I get angry whenever my children are unable to finish their food. I told them to get portions they can finish.)

The DA supported the half-cup rice initiative to reduce food wastage.

“Gusto talaga irevivew ni Secretaey yung bill na maoffer yung half rice. For example, yung 255,000 MT at P43 per kilo that will translate to about P3.6 billion worth ng bigas annually so malaking pondo yon,” DA Spokesperson Assistant Secretary Arnel de Mesa said.

( Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. wants to review the bill seeking to offer half-rice serving. For example, the 255,000 MT at P43 per kilo will translate to about P3.6 billion worth of rice annually, so it's a large fund.)

According to PhilRice, 47 local ordinances allow half-cup rice servings, but the campaign aims to implement it nationwide through local government agencies before an executive order is signed.

Some customers approved the half-cup rice initiative.

“Sakto lang sa tiyan mo hindi sobra (It’s just right for a person. It’s not too much),” customer Kenneth Berbos said.

“Hindi sana tayo maging takaw mata and sana kumuha lang tayo ng pakonti konti 
(Let's get only what we can consume),” Beltran said as she advised Filipinos to reduce food wastage.

Meanwhile, per kilo prices of galunggong remain costly despite the 38,000 metric tons of fish that were allowed to be imported.

According to the monitoring of DA in some markets, galunggong is at P300 per kilo.

De Mesa explained that the prohibition of fishing during the recent tropical cyclones contributed to the increase in galunggong prices.

The closed fishing season also caused fewer fish supplies in the market. —Mariel Celine Serquiña/LDF, GMA Integrated News