As another year comes near to its end, that nation celebrates the National Rice Awareness Month (NRAM).

Through Proclamation No. 524, series of 2004, the annual celebration of NRAM is held every November to increase public awareness on rice towards addressing issues on malnutrition and poverty, and help attain self-sufficiency.

This year, the Department of Agriculture (DA) goes with the theme “Be RICEponsibly healthy”, with an aim to raise consciousness on how to consume rice in a healthy way. Considering the ongoing health crisis, sustainable rice production and consumption are seen to be necessary, which include responsible rice intake, patronizing locally produced brown rice, and promoting best practices in rice production, among others.

For this celebration, a series of physical and virtual activities will be conducted by different agencies. Online training activities and seminars on different topics will be spearheaded by the Agricultural Training Institute (ATI) through its network of training centers. The first #BeRICEponsiblyHealthy Virtual Run will also be held, which enjoins social media influencers to run remotely for 5 kilometers within a 30-day period, while sharing insights relevant to the rice campaign through their respective online platforms.

For more details on these activities, visit the ATI’s official Facebook page at www.facebook.com/atiinteractive.