Ex-Health chief Garin urges gov't to promote kamote as staple food

Former Health Secretary and Iloilo lawmaker Janette Garin on Tuesday called on the Department of Agriculture (DA) to promote kamote or sweet potatoes as an alternative to rice to counter a possible rice shortage.

Garin issued the statement in response to farmer groups warning of a possible rice shortage in 2023 amid the decline in the palay output due to the high cost of agricultural inputs.

"It is high time that the DA extensively promotes sweet potato as an alternative. One way of doing this is to increase production and make the necessary investment in root crops in terms of agricultural research, food technology, or marketing," Garin said.

"The nutritious content of rice cannot compare to that of kamote since rice transforms into sugar in the body, making one susceptible to diabetes, while kamote is high in fiber and is one of the best foods that one can eat to prevent cancer," Garin added.

In addition, Garin said the government should provide incentives for restaurants and carinderias (street diners) to serve kamote.

"We encourage restaurants to try using kamote in place of rice and even as French fries. What we need today are innovations in the kitchen," Garin said.

Garin then said that too much rice consumption might make one sick, and there have been studies that concluded that eating white rice regularly can increase diabetes risk by up to 1.5%.

"Our fondness for rice draws from our having been eating it since childhood and our meals having been designed to complement rice, but it’s high time we changed our attitude towards both rice and root crops," Garin said.

"Kamote can bring back health and keep some health problems at bay. As medical studies have shown, kamote lowers hypertension, bad cholesterol, and even blood sugar when taken as a substitute for rice," she added.

Garin then noted that if there was a food alternative on the menu, particularly when it comes to rice, people will quickly adapt to it.

She cited the case of South Korea, Japan, and the United States which she says regard sweet potatoes as part of their daily diet in contrast with the Philippines where root crops are seen as an inferior food.

"Panahon na para bantayan ang diet at kung maaari ay iwasan ang masyadong maraming kanin," Garin said.

(It is time to watch our diet and cut down on rice consumption.)

Garin, however, clarified that she is not calling for a halt to rice consumption.

"I am not promoting to abandon rice completely but to include root crops as part of one's diet as root crops are beneficial to overall nutrition," she added. — DVM, GMA News