A synthetic rice is a mixture of cassava and industrial grade resin . It was first reported in China way back 2011.
Consumers from Davao are complaining about these synthetic rice. The fake rice said to be similar with ordinary rice but when you cooked it the consistency is like a styrofoam. It burn like a styrofoam when subjected to fire but the smell is like cassava.
The possibility that it from is highly probable and also it could be from the backdoor merchants in Mindanao. Currently, Indonesia is also having the same problem and the probability that the fake rice or synthetic rice was smuggled from Indonesia to Mindanao is also high.