9 January 2015 - Last November, the Philippine Embassy in Beirut, Lebanon joined the Filipino nation in observing the National Rice Awareness Month. The 2014 campaign, dubbed “Be RicePonsible,” aimed to encourage every Filipino to be a responsible rice consumer and to help achieve rice sufficiency in the country.

Embassy officers and staff, led by Ambassador Leah M. Basinang-Ruiz, as well as wards at the Migrant Workers and Other Overseas Filipinos Resource Center (MWOFRC), recited the “Panatang Makapalay” during the flag ceremony every Monday for the whole month of November. A banner bearing the slogan “We are RICEPONSIBLE!” was also displayed in the Embassy’s bulletin board during that time.

In her message, Ambassador Ruiz stressed the need to ensure the consumption of the right amount of rice, whether in a restaurant or in the home, zero wastage of rice and exploring alternatives to rice, including root crops and corn.  END