Cheyenne Suarez

Philippines' 'Denorado' wins silver in World's Best Rice 2025 Awards

A worker from a rice dealer in Mega Q-Mart in Cubao, Quezon City, arranges the store's supply of different rice varieties, including "Denorado" rice, which is marked with a P60 price tag on Tuesday, August 22, 2023. Former Agricultural Chief Leonardo Montemayor raised concern on a possible spike in rice prices until next month if supply is not augmented. Maria Tan, ABS-CBN News

Article (news)

Jervis Manahan

Benise Balaoing

ABS-CBN News

<div><br/></div><p>MANILA -- The Philippines&#x27; &quot;Mabango 3&quot; rice variety, known commercially as Denorado, won silver in the World&#x27;s Best Rice 2025 Awards held in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.</p><p>&quot;Nagwagi ang Mabango hindi lang dahil sa kanyang mala beauty queen na itsura, kundi pati na rin sa kanyang lasa at aroma,&quot; Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel said in a press conference on Wednesday.</p><p>&quot;It&#x27;s basically very white, long, and slender. Sexy yung rice,&quot; he added.</p><p>Thirty rice varieties competed in the awards, where rice varieties from Cambodia and Vietnam won gold in a tie. Mabango 3 was developed by breeders at the Philippine Rice Research Institute.</p><p>Tiu Laurel said the award was a fitting tribute to the country&#x27;s scientists who continue to develop rice varieties for the country&#x27;s food security.</p><p>&quot;Isang patunay ito sa talino, sipag, at diskarte na hindi magpapahuli ang Pilipino,&quot; Tiu Laurel added.</p><p>Tiu Laurel said he is optimistic that the Philippines will be able to bag the gold in the next few years. However, the agriculture chief admitted it will take time, around 3-4 harvest seasons, before the Mabango 3 variety can have enough supply in the market.</p><p>&quot;Kailangan muna tanggapin ng ating mga farmers ang variety na ito,&quot; he ended.</p><p>Meanwhile, the Department of Agriculture has rolled out the government&#x27;s P20 per kilo rice program in Dipolog, Zamboanga del Norte. This means the cheaper rice will now be available in Dapitan, Dipolog, and 25 municipalities in Zamboanga del Norte. </p><p>Among the priority beneficiaries of the program are the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) households, senior citizens, persons with disabilities, solo parents, farmers, fisherfolk, minimum wage earners, and transport workers.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/9/15/da-eyes-nationwide-rollout-of-p20-kilo-rice-program-by-october-1842" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">DA eyes nationwide rollout of P20/kilo rice program by October</a></div><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/business/2025/11/24/da-launches-benteng-bigas-masterlist-registry-system-1606" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">DA launches &#x27;Benteng Bigas Masterlist Registry System&#x27; to widen access to cheaper rice</a></div><p>Tiu Laurel said the P20/kilo rice is now available in 424 locations nationwide. In late October, the DA said approximately 15 million households, or about 60 million Filipinos, are benefiting from the subsidized rice initiative.</p>