Senator Cynthia Villar is causing a firestorm on the internet after she said that she wants to ban “unlimited rice” promos offered in restaurants.
“Ipagbawal na yang unlimited rice, masama yan. Pagbawal na natin yang unlimited rice kasi nagkakasakit tayo gawa ng unlimited rice na yan; we should learn how to eat vegetables,” said Villar, chair of the Senate committee on agriculture and food.
(We should ban unlimited rice, it’s bad. Let’s ban it because we get sick because of unlimited rice; we should learn how to eat vegetables.)
Villar added that rice is known to cause diabetes.She said that government officials should encourage Filipinos to eat brown rice instead of well-milled rice.
Rice is considered a staple in the Filipino diet. Most Filipinos eat it three times a day.
As a marketing strategy, there are restaurants and fast food chains offering unlimited rice promos, which allow diners to eat as much rice as they can.
According to GMA News, “Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel Piñol earlier said the government sought to meet the rice self-sufficiency goal by 2020.”
Villar said that the switch in diet can help the Philippines achieve self-sufficiency in rice supply.
