Rice has long been a part of our gastronomic history. The early communities of Filipinos revered it. Elaborate rituals were practiced for a bountiful harvest, and the gods were honored for the graces they bestowed upon the farmers and their families. Filipinos up north even carved mountains for the excellent cultivation of their rice. Until now, we can say that our lives still revolve around this staple food.
Filipinos can attest to this reverence by our consumption habits. We can eat rice three times a day. Breakfast usually consists of a staple of agahan fare like tuyo, longganisa, tapa, etc. partnered with sinangag or leftover rice from the previous night fried to perfection. Lunch and dinner are also willing accomplices to rice. We have festivals for it and nothing is more popular than the Pahiyas Festival that honors St. Isidore, the patron saint of farmers. Taking center stage at the Pahiyas festival is the kiping or rice-made decoration that colorfully adorns the houses of Lucban, Quezon. In the city, rice meals are served to a multitude of hungry stomachs. Recently, the rise of the rice-kings aka foodchains that serve unlimited rice have been noticeable. In front of this “limitlessness,” we are made to come to terms with how much we value our rice and the price we have to pay for it.
This year marks the National Year of Rice. It is an attempt by the Philippine government to push for rice self-sufficiency that will start this 2013. Promoting better health practice (because piling up on rice leads to belly build-up and a bevy of diseases eventually) and responsible rice consumption (less wastage) are also on the agenda. The facts speak for themselves, nyr2013.com states that there are 60 million rice-eating Filipinos in the country. Just imagine the mastication power of those millions of mouths, but the facts show that wasted rice from that 60 million could feed 2.6 million Filipinos for a year.
By dedicating this year for rice, Filipinos—whether they are producers, policy-makers, or consumers—should value it. For the producers, investing on technology is a top-priority for it will result to higher yield for the tummies of more Filipinos. The policy-makers have the ability to make laws that will make sure that producers get their support while enacting policies that will reduce rice wastage on the part of consumers. The consumers, on the other hand, should be responsible eaters if we are to further pull down the wastage lines. In the end, we are all consumers of rice. Not unless you are on a no-rice diet.
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