“I think we should learn how to eat vegetables because it’s healthier. Kasi sasabihin mas mura ang rice sa vegetables eh ang mahal naman magpagamot ng diabetes. Ipagbawal na yang unlimited rice, kasi nagkakasakit tayo gawa ng unlimited rice na yan; we should learn how to eat vegetables,” Sen. Villar, chair of the Senate committee on agriculture and food said.
Sen. Villar made her statement after Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel Piñol said that the Philippines might need to import rice in 2018. Based on his report, the country' projected rice consumption this 2017 is 12.1 million metric tons, while its expected production is only 12 million metric tons. The lady senator said unli rice ban could help avoid rice importation.
But in less than an hour, tons of netizens rushed to Twitter, slamming Sen. Villar. On the same day, she clarified that she does not really intend to ban unli rice promo. Instead, the lady senator said she is only voicing out her concern on Filipinos eating too much rice, which she noted as one of the main causes of high blood sugar that leads to diabetes.
“I cannot prevent people from eating unlimited amount of rice. It is their choice. It was just a genuine expression of concern on my part. But to decrease health risks, cutting down on rice is still a good idea.” Villar said, adding this Friday that for children should also eat taho for breakfast instead of hotdog. She noted that taho is a healthier food than hotdog.
Taho, which is one of the favorite street food snack of Filipinos especially in the morning, is made of silken tofu, sago pearls and arnibal (thick sugar syrup). Despite its extra sweetness, it is considered as a healthy food because tofu serves as a nutritious meat substitute. On the other hand, hotdogs are made of meat trimming, salt and preservatives.
Contributed by Karenina Saulo
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