Oriented towards imparting insightful facts and compelling data on rice, DA RFO 8 held two sessions of information drive labeled as Brown Rice and Rice Mix Day at Matag-ob Stand Alone Senior High School, Matag-ob, Leyte, on November 26-27, 2025.

In his opening remarks, Mr. Adelo S. Gorillo, school head of Matag-ob Stand Alone Senior High School, graced the event with his welcoming words, expressing their curiosity and hunger for deeper knowledge about rice—the most sought-after Filipino staple.

In his presentation, former director, now MRIDP consultant, Dir. Leo P. Caneda elucidated the ABAKADA of the BeRiceponsible Campaign, encouraging the students to consume brown rice instead of white rice, be a responsible rice consumer, and patronize locally produced rice to help uplift Filipino farmers.

The said drive underlined the fact that increasing rice production is not the sole solution to achieve food security; we must also be responsible with our consumption. In fact, according to the data presented by Engr. Ruth Balading, RCMS Focal, 5 percent of the total household rice consumption is wasted, a figure that could feed 5.9 million Filipinos for a year.

In an interview after the activity, Angelita L. Villena, a Grade 12 student, pledged to be a responsible consumer of rice. She claimed, “Magiging responsable ako sa pagkain ng rice sa pamamagitan nga pag-ubos ng aking kanin. Ibabahagi ko rin sa aking mga kaibigan at kakilala ang mga impormasyong nalaman ko dito.”

(I will be Riceponsible through completely finishing my rice every meal. I will also impart whatever vital information I have learned from this session to my friends and acquaintances.)

A total of 100 participants actively joined the abovementioned two-day information campaign.

This activity is in consonance with the celebration of National Rice Awareness Month. Pursuant to Presidential Proclamation No. 524, Series of 2004, the National Rice Awareness Month is celebrated every November to raise public awareness on rice, combat malnutrition and poverty, and attain rice self-sufficiency.