As mandated by Proclamation No. 524, we celebrate the National Rice Awareness Month every year during the month of November. This year, with the theme “Be RICEponsible in your own way now (BROWN) 4 good”, the Department of Agriculture (DA) through its Be Riceponsible campaign highlights the production and consumption of brown rice.

Aside from encouraging the public to not waste rice, this year’s celebration aims to inform the public of the benefits of eating brown rice as an alternative to white rice. Thus, the National Nutrition Council – National Capital Region (NNC-NCR) joined the DA in their Healthier Rice Cooking Challenge (Mother-Daughter Tandem), an on-the-spot cooking challenge for mothers and daughters held on November 7, 2015 at the Events Center, Fisher Mall, Quezon City.

Nutrition Officer II Theresa Rivas joined the panel of judges, which include Assistant Secretary Edilberto de Luna, the National Program Coordinator for the Rice and Corn Programs of the DA, Chef Jam Melchor, Mr. Blair Marquez, Business Unit Head of Inquirer and Ms. Lanie Lluch of Mommy Bloggers Philippines, in choosing the best mother and daughter tandem with their recipe that showcased the brown rice in the most creative way, easy to do and still remains nutritious.

Judging of recipes was based on the following criteria: taste (40%), nutritional content (20%), creativity with the use of ingredients (20%), replicability/easy to cook (10%) and presentation (10%).
Mother and daughter tandem Ascila and Samantha Zulla from Rodriguez Rizal with their Mushroom Brown Rice and Veggie Burger bested the other nine (9) contestants and was adjudged First Prize Winner in the Cooking Competition. (TAR/NPC MEVF/NNCNCR)