11/01/2025
NNC Backs Government Efforts to Boost Brown Rice Production and Promote Healthy Eating
The National Nutrition Council (NNC) supports the government’s initiatives to make “one-pass rice” or popularly known as brown rice, a staple on Filipino tables. This effort is about promoting healthy diets, boosting the country’s rice supply, supporting local farmers, and making food more affordable for everyone. No less than the President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. directed the Department of Agriculture (DA), Department of Health (DOH), and other government authorities to conduct various information campaign to promote the consumption of the brown rice as healthier alternative to white rice.
As compared to typical or ordinary white rice, brown rice keeps its nutrient-rich bran (darak) layer intact, which offers more fiber, vitamins, and minerals that support digestion, stabilize blood sugar, and promote overall health. Whether for children needing energy to learn and play, teens going through growth spurts, adults managing their weight, or elderlies caring for their heart and digestion, brown rice fits seamlessly into every stage of life. Thus, the NNC recommends making brown rice about one-third of your plate, with daily servings of 1 to 1 ½ cups, depending on your age and needs [1]
Choosing brown rice also helps the country’s rice supply increase further by an estimated 15%, or 1.65 million metric tons annually, according to the Private Sector Advisory Council (PSAC), as it is less processed than white rice, saving resources and cutting down costs. It could also help lower rice prices by ₱3 to 4 per kilogram, making it an affordable and practical option for families- a win-win feat for both health and sustainability. Francisco (2011) estimates that if every Filipino consumed brown rice for just one meal a day for three times each month (totaling 36 meals annually), the country's rice imports could decrease by approximately 50,000 metric tons per year, resulting in an annual savings of around US$20.32 million (equivalent to ₱812.81 million) [2]
The Department of Agriculture-Philippine Rice Research Institute (DA-PhilRice) has been a steadfast advocate of this mission through the BROWN4good Project, which is a part of the Be RICEponsible Campaign that ensures a continuous supply of quality and low-cost brown rice in the market through National Food Authority (NFA) retail stores.
To make brown rice more affordable for every Filipino family, the DA offers Nutri Rice, a mix of well-milled rice and brown rice, at a price of just ₱37 to 38 per kilo. The DA is also making every effort through Kadiwa ng Pangulo to make brown rice available to all to increase its availability and consumer demand. The DA sits as the Vice Chair of the NNC Governing Board, which ties in well with the NNC’s mission to encourage healthy eating habits and support nutrition-sensitive agriculture in the Philippines as embodied in the Philippine Plan of Action for Nutrition 2023-2028.
The NNC encourages farmers to adopt sustainable farming practices that will boost brown rice production. At the same time, NNC urges consumers to make healthier dietary choices by incorporating brown rice into their meals. The NNC also calls on industry leaders to play an active role in making brown rice more accessible and widely available to Filipino households; and appeals to local government units (LGUs) to include brown rice as a staple in dietary supplementation programs and to offer it as an option in institutions such as hospitals, schools, universities, and workplaces.
References:
Food and Nutrition Research Institute. Department of Science and Technology (2016). Pinggang Pinoy©. A Healthy Plate for a Well-Nourished Nation. Taguig City. Philippines: FNRI-DOST
S.R. Francisco. 2011. “Implications of brown rice to selfsufficiency,” paper presented at the Policy Workshop on Mainstreaming Brown Rice to Low-and Middle-Income Families, Sept. 29, 2011, Clark, Angeles City, Pampanga.
