Drumming up support from the transport group to widely spread the “Be Riceponsible Campaign” in celebrating November as Rice Awareness Month (NRAM), the DA through the Regional Agriculture & Fisheries Information Section in collaboration with the Office of the Provincial Agriculturist (OPag) in the Province of La Union conducted a briefing about NRAM to the Presidents of the Tricycle Operators and Drivers Association (TODA) at the OPag La Union Conference Room, San Fernando City, La Union on November 16, 2023.

Fifteen TODA Presidents out of the 19 municipalities and one city in the province attended the briefing where they received tarpaulins bearing the Be Riceponsible Campaign theme this year spelled as the ABKD that stands for A-Adlay, mais, saba atbp. ay ihahalo sa kanin, B-Brown rice ay kaninin, K- Kanin ay huwag sayangin, D-Dapat bigas ng PIlipinas ang bilhin.

Dubbed as the Healthy Rice Ride Promo, the activity engaged 200 tricycle drivers in La Union. They are asked to hang the 200 tarpaulins given to them in their respective tricycles, providing the general public information about the Be-Riceponsible campaign.

To sustain their interest of joining the campaign, the DA also provided info advocacy materials such as NRAM t-shirts, training kits that contained a kilo of Malusog Rice provided by the Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) and various IEC reading materials.

Ms. Eva Agustin, Information Officer II of the DA shared in her briefing the important role of the tricycle drivers in helping the DA to promote NRAM’s Be RICEponsible campaign.

“Maaring simple lang ang bagay na ito para sa inyo, pero para sa amin sa DA, napakalaking bagay ito na matulungan kami na maipalaganap ang maaring gawin ng bawat isa upang makamtan na natin ang pagkakaroon ng sapat na bigas sa ating bansa,” Ms. Agustin in her message.

In addition to the training kits and other campaign paraphernalia, the OPAG-La Union also distributed various kinds of vegetable seeds for backyard gardening in support to the Urban Gardening Program of DA.

The Healthy Rice Ride Promo is among the many activities set by the DA-RAFIS this month of November along with the Briefing on NRAM, Masagana Rice Industry Program and Golden Rice on the 20th and the NRAM Quiz Bee that shall be participated in by the DA-RFO I personnel.

The NRAM celebration is an annual activity of the DA to raise awareness on the importance of supporting various activities to address malnutrition, food insecurity and poverty in the countryside.