By Brian Campued
With the Philippines celebrating National Rice Awareness Month this November, the staple food for millions of Filipinos takes center stage, highlighting its importance in the path towards ensuring food security—one grain at a time.
The locally-grown “Dinorado” (NSIC Rc 218 SR), also known as “Mabango 3,” has just been awarded the silver prize at the World’s Best Rice Awards 2025 in Phnom Penh, Cambodia earlier this month.
Tied at gold were Vietnam’s three-time champion ST25 and Cambodia’s seven-time victor Phka Rumdoul.
With the Philippines besting 27 other entries, the Department of Agriculture (D.A.) noted that Dinorado has “both the substance and the scent to stand among the planet’s finest grains.”
“This is proof that our local farmers and scientists can hold their own against the world’s best,” D.A. Sec. Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. said in a news release on Nov. 12.
In an interview with Radyo Pilipinas on Monday, D.A. – Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) Executive Director, Dr. John de Leon said the NSIC Rc 218 SR variety was approved by the National Seed Industry Council for national cultivation in 2009.
Developed by the D.A.– PhilRice, the Mabango 3 is just one of the 121 rice varieties it has developed across its 40-year operations to support farmers.
“This affirms that our research program at D.A.-PhilRice is fully capable of delivering products, varieties in this case, that genuinely advance the general welfare of our rice farmers and the Filipino people,” De Leon said in a separate press release.
“This is, in fact, our purpose, the reason for our being. World-class na bigas, kaya ng Pinas,” he added.
The Philippine Rice Industry Stakeholders Movement (PRISM)—which submitted the rice entry to the global competition—called the Philippines’ another podium finish as an upgrade from 2024’s third-place finish.
“This win isn’t just about quality, it’s about identity—a reminder that the Philippines is not only the world’s largest rice importer, but also a nation capable of producing world-class, sustainable, and export-worthy rice,” PRISM founder Rowena Sadicon said.
-jpv
