What's healthier than pork and chicken? Rabbit meat

Eating rabbit meat may sound strange but did you know? It's actually a healthier alternative to pork and chicken?

In an episode of Stand For Truth, reporter Mitzi Ambrad featured "Bunnychon," a food stall  in Mandaue City, Cebu, that offers Filipino dishes featuring rabbit meat. As in: rabbit sisig, roasted rabbit, rabbit in lumpia, kalderetang rabbit, and bola-bola. 

Architect Daryl Garcia, the owner of Bunnychon said they want to introduce rabbit meat to Cebu, which had a growing health market.

Beside their stall, they placed an infographics on the wall to educate their customers on the benefits of rabbit meat.

"Rabbit meat is very good for our health, it has a high percentage of digestible protein. It's almost cholesterol free," Architect Garcia said.

The report said 100 grams of rabbit meat has 173 calories.

Aside from the rabbit meat, all of the Bunnychon's ingredients used in the ingredients are organically grown from the farm of the restaurant owner.

One of the customers of Bunnychon, Maritess Carampil, said she hesitated to eat rabbit meat at first thinking it might taste odd but she was amazed after she tried it.

"Nung hindi ko pa na-try ang menu sa Bunnychon, nag-hesitate ako kasi baka may something sa taste ata baka hindi masarap because first time ko kumain ng rabbit meat. But I was amazed when I tried their food. If nobody will tell you it's a rabbit, it tastes really good," Maritess shared.

According to the Provincial Veterinarian of Cebu's provincial government, it is legal to eat and butcher rabbits.

The report said eating rabbit meat is also regulated by the National Meat Inspection Service.

Rose Vincoy of Cebu's Provincial Veterinarian said the rabbit industry has not yet entered the mainstream, but it's already on its promotion and awareness stage.

"Sa Luzon they start this industry pero hindi ganon kalaki compared to the duck industry na talagang naka-takeoff na. Ang rabbit industry wala pa siya," she said.

The Department of Agriculture is also encouraging farmers to start rabbit farming because of its low cost and it is also easy to breed.

Gilmore Cariquitan, a rabbit raiser for 8 years, said it is not known in the industry because most people feel pity to the rabbit and it's often seen as cute pets in the Philippines.

Ambrad said more social entrepreneurs hope to increase the supply and demand of the rabbit meat in the Philippines. — Jannielyn Ann Bigtas/LA, GMA News