Formerly called Golden Rice, Malusog Rice was rebranded to highlight its nutritional value and health benefits and do away from the expensive connotation the term “golden” brings, said DA-PhilRice Malusog Rice Program lead Dr. Ronan Zagado.

He added that the development and deployment of Malusog Rice are aligned with DA’s six-year strategic agenda aimed at securing access to affordable, safe, and nutritious food for Filipinos.

Malusog Rice has been genetically modified for improved nutrition, with beta carotene content that can provide 30-50% of the estimated average requirement (EAR) of Vitamin A for children five years and below, and pregnant and lactating women.

Acknowledging its health potential, Cadiao welcomed the idea of expanding the Malusog Rice Program to other parts of the province, especially since the pilot implementation yielded promising results and received acceptance from involved communities.

Sibalom and Patnongon towns in this province are two of the pilot sites nationwide selected for the Malusog Rice Production, which harvested over 100 tons of rice across 17 provinces, including Antique, from its first planting season in 2022.

Patnongon Municipal Agriculturist Bernardita F. Salvador said that the same farming procedure with regular rice varieties is done for Malusog Rice, from land preparation to harvesting, although