Filipinos eat rice every day not only because it complements many of their dishes but because it is a cheap source of carbohydrate and protein. The recent spike in the price of meat products like pork has made it more difficult for consumers to diversify their diet. For the price of a kilo of pork, which averaged P370 a kilo in Metro Manila, Pinoys can buy nearly nine kilos of regular milled local commercial rice.
That’s why it no longer comes as a surprise if diabetes is one of the top causes of death in the Philippines. According to a report released by the Philippine Statistics Authority, diabetes mellitus was the fourth leading cause of death in the first quarter of the year. The disease accounted for 6,151 deaths in the January to March period (See, “Covid still one major cause of deaths in PHL—PSA data,” in the BusinessMirror, July 4, 2022).
Experts have long warned about the health risks associated with consuming too much of white rice. A study conducted by the Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH) indicated that eating white rice on a regular basis may increase the risk of type 2 diabetes. The study, which was published in the British Medical Journal in March 2012, found that people who ate the most rice—three to four servings a day—were 1.5 times more likely to have diabetes than people who ate the least amount of rice.
Because it is a cheap source of carbohydrate and protein, poor Filipino families eat white rice three times a day and oftentimes in huge quantities. Even if they want to consume healthy and nutritious food, poor Filipinos can’t afford them. The latest data from the Department of Agriculture (DA) indicate that prices of meat, fish and vegetables continue to make it difficult for low income Pinoys, particularly in the National Capital Region, to diversify their diet. As of October 28, DA data showed that the price of local round scad or galunggong averaged P240 per kilo, while the average price of eggplant and tomato reached P100 per kilo.
There have been proposals in the past to promote the consumption of brown rice and to mix corn with white rice to reduce health risks but these suggestions failed to gain traction. Health experts have long been asking the government to wean Filipinos away from white rice and to consume other staples, such as brown rice, but the alternatives are expensive. Cost is still the main obstacle to the adoption of healthier alternatives to white rice.
Lawmakers who have made a pitch for the consumption of alternatives to white rice should keep this in mind if they are indeed serious about enticing Filipinos to eat other crops like kamote or sweet potato. Policymakers and lawmakers can take a cue from marketing professionals who have devised ways to introduce new products to consumers. Creativity and the willingness to fund efforts to promote alternatives to white rice are key to helping Filipinos develop a taste for healthy food items.