“Food is life.” Cliche as it may sound, but it is undeniably true.

When
school or work are overwhelming and tiring, we often resort to searching for
foods to eat to at least lessen the negative vibes and to cheer up ourselves.
Eating or dining out is also one of the primary ways to celebrate several
important events in life such as birthday, graduation, Christmas, New Year,
Fiesta, and many more. Most importantly, food should not be absent in the
daily life as it is a basic necessity that fuels our body to keep us moving.
Agriculturists' major duty is to direct agricultural initiatives and activities,
typically in agribusiness planning or research for the benefit of farms, food,
and agribusiness-related organizations. Along with research, gathering
qualitative and quantitative data is essential in agriculture as interpretation
and analysis about the situation of the general food consumption of Filipinos
will be based on those.

Rice is the primary in demand commodity in the Philippines. Rice

(plain) refers to cooked rice converted in original raw form. For most of the
Filipinos, meal is incomplete without rice. Even if other basic foods like bread
and noodles are readily available, rice is still the most popular choice for a
staple food in the Philippines. In a survey, rice (plain) was considered the most
common food item with 93.39 percent of households reporting its
consumption. Majority of the households bought the rice they consume, some
were own-produced, and the unusual practice of getting rice is through
receiving during the reference period. Additionally, the country’s
consumption of rice per person averaged 109.87 kilograms per year or 2.11
kilograms per week. During the four survey rounds, weekly consumption of
rice ranged from 2.084 kilograms in February to 2.157 kilograms in November.
However, the challenge is that there were also recorded average quantity of
rice that was spoiled/ wasted per household in the country was 32.24 grams
weekly. This problems in inevitable, but in some time in the future, this
problem can be resolved through projects and programs that will gradually
lessen the rice spoiled. The numbers don’t lie— they tell us that rice is a
timeless and boundless necessary staple food in our country and it would be a
huge loss if neglected.

In nutrients consumption for Filipinos, rice is also dependable when it

comes to this matter. According to National Nutrition Council, it provides half
of the calorie requirements and is a rich source of carbohydrates and other
nutrients such as protein, fiber, calcium, iron and more. Among the
agricultural commodities under review, rice continued to be the major source
of calories. In 2017, rice contributed 1,156.59 grams of calories per day per
person and 24.30 grams of protein per person was sourced from rice. Having a
food to eat is not enough, but learning about the nutritional contents it gives to
our body is a good practice to consider as well. In the case of rice, it is not the
type of nutritious food we should not totally remove in our meal plan.
Another good reason to maintain rice in our country is that it is a part of
our culture. Hence, maintaining rice is preserving our culture. In an article of
Mariel Gonzales, she mentioned that, “What does rice mean to Filipinos now,
after all the transformations it has undergone throughout the years? In the
pre-colonial past, rice was known not as a staple, but as a prestigious foodstuff
and article of trade, surrounded by deeply ritualized behaviours connected to
supernatural beliefs.” Moreover, rice has been a part in most of the Filipino
traditions such and cultures such as when we have celebrations, in giving
foods to the needy on the streets, and it was also once a symbol of unity. Rice,
across the years, remained significant in our country with varying roles and
purposes. Without much surprise, it will still secure its spot in our lives in the
following years.

In addition to influencing diet and culture, rice is a major source of

income for Filipino families, particularly for the farmers who labor day and
night to feed not only their families but also the rest of the country's
population, who depend on rice to meet their daily nutritional requirements.
RICE farmers earned an additional P7,000 pesos per hectare two years after the
implementation of Republic Act No. 11203 or the Rice Tariffication Law, the
Agriculture department said. Agriculture Secretary William D. Dar in a
statement Friday credited increased harvests to the P10 billion-a-year Rice
Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (RCEF), which was created under the
law. He also added that with the use of certified seed, adoption of modern
technology, and mechanizing land preparation, crop establishment and
harvesting, farmers can attain incremental yields. At least two million rice
farmers are now reaping and enjoying the initial benefits of the law”.

Rice feeds the people, enriches the Philippine culture, and provides
income for farmers. With all these mentioned reasons, I do think that it is
worthy to work on this commodity as it has positively impacted the Filipino
lives.

References:

https://www.bworldonline.com/economy/2021/03/12/350001/better-rice-
yields-raise-farmer-income-by-p7000-per-hectare/

https://nnc.gov.ph/regional-offices/mindanao/region-ix-zamboanga-penins
ula/4387-the-importance-of-rice-to-filipinos-lives

Gonzales, M. (2020). A Historical and Analytical Perspective on Rice and its

Significance within Filipino Culture

Philippine Statistics Authority. (2017). Consumption of Selected Agricultural

Commodities in the Philippines Volume 1
Philippine Statistics Authority. (2018). Food Consumption and Nutrition