Eating brown rice isn’t just the healthier option; it may help bring down rice prices and address local production shortfall.
This is a low-hanging fruit—or rather, grain— that corporate Philippines has identified, a national campaign that no less than President Marcos is expected to launch with a big bang in 2025.
By encouraging Pinoys to eat brown or “less polished” rice, millers can reduce the polishing process and immediately boost rice supply by 15 percent or around 1.65 million metric tons a year. The bottom line? Retail prices of this food staple can go down by around P3 to P4 per kilo, Aboitiz Group CEO Sabin Aboitiz, lead convener of the Private Sector Advisory Council (PSAC), said in a recent chat, citing estimates presented to Malacañang.
The brown rice strategy is a brainchild of Aileen Christel Ongkauko of La Filipina Uy Gongco Corp., head of the PSAC Agriculture group, Aboitiz said. It has been presented to the Department of Agriculture and Mr. Marcos himself in one of the recent brainstorming sessions with PSAC.
“They all agreed already,” Aboitiz said. “It’s a brilliant idea,” he agreed.
Tycoon Chris Po, executive chair of Century Pacific Food, is tasked to put on the creative hat to formulate the national campaign in the coming year.
After removing the husk and bran layer from palay, milling typically leaves only about 65 percent of the grain, becoming what we eat as white rice.
The bran, in turn, is used as animal feed. “But that’s where the good stuff is,” Aboitiz said.
The idea is to reduce palay polishing to leave initially 70 percent, and eventually 75 percent of the grain, until Pinoys get used to eating rice that’s not too white but richer in fiber.
The country produces around 11 million metric tons (MT) of rice each year. This year, rice imports are projected to hit 5 million MT, a record high for the Philippines, already the world’s largest importer of rice.
The campaign to promote consumption of brown rice also complements the call to curb rice wastage. Expect Mr. Marcos himself to eat a mouthful to encourage Pinoys to follow suit. —Doris Dumlao-Abadilla
Lim’s stellar leadership
From seeing the first steps of the company as one of its founding members in 1994 to shaping SM Prime Holdings Inc. into the real estate giant it is now, Jeffrey Lim has definitely had his fair share of accomplishments.
It comes as no surprise, then, that the SM Prime president was recognized as the sole “Eminent Leader in Asia” at the Asia Corporate Excellence and Sustainability (ACES) 2024 Awards.
“This recognition from the ACES Awards reaffirms our commitment to creating spaces where people and communities can thrive,” Lim said in a statement.
ACES Awards president Shanggari B. likewise lauded Lim, saying that his leadership “is a testament to what can be achieved through dedication and integrity.”
SM Prime now has 87 in the Philippines alone, along with eight in China covering a combined gross floor area of over 11 million square meters.
Under Lim’s management, SM Prime also supports around 22,000 local businesses and has built 184,000 residential units.
And with a P110-billion expansion plan already penciled in for 2025, SM Prime seems to be truly primed to rule the real estate space through Lim. —MEG J. ADONIS
Power woes dim Siargao’s glow
Electricity issues dampen the vibrant tourism sector of popular tourist spot Siargao Island, with some business owners closing their establishments or losing about P100,000 daily in revenues.
Energy consumer group ILAW called the government’s attention to fix the power interruption on the island caused by a faulty submarine cable, especially with the influx of tourists expected during the holiday season.
It said the local tourism industry—which welcomed over 500,000 guests last year—has been suffering since December 1, as the situation has left Siargao and Bucas Grande Islands in Surigao del Norte in darkness.
ILAW gathered several business owners on the island to discuss the situation, which it considered a “crisis.”
“We call on all power stakeholders in the region to prioritize consumers first… The situation on the ground is dire for our fellow countrymen in Siargao Island.
Some entrepreneurs have cried about lost opportunities as the power interruptions continue to disrupt their businesses. Small businesses with no generators were even forced to temporarily close their shops as guests moved to areas with standby power.
ILAW also said that those running on generators have to face expensive fuel prices, biting into their profits.
Longer blackouts may be experienced on the island as ILAW said “no clear timetable for restoring a stable power supply” has been set yet. – Lisbet K. Esmael