The Philippines’ dependence on rice as its leading staple food is expected to fade as incomes increase and diets are diversified, agriculture experts said. Professor Dr Paul S. Teng, Adjunct Senior Fellow and adviser in food security at RSIS said that lower-income families in the Philippines and across Asia tend to eat more rice. He said that once policymakers and national governments boost their efforts in increasing household incomes, the diversification of the consumer diet will gain traction. “They can now start branching away to other staples. Rice is a legacy staple all over Asia. It is so difficult to change legacy food habits because food is such as personal thing,” Dr. Teng said.