NTA has requested the mayors in Ilocos Norte to extend more assistance to local tobacco growers using the share of the local government units (LGUs) from the tobacco excise tax.
Speaking before 13 mayors in a special meeting of the League of Municipalities of the Philippines (LMP), Ilocos Norte chapter, on April 21 at the SP Session Hall at the capitol, NTA Executive Assistant Benjamin V. Sarmiento sought the cooperation of the local leaders to help the industry increase the volume of tobacco production. This is to address the continuing demand for quality tobacco leaves by the local tobacco companies.
Sarmiento cited the ongoing concern regarding the insufficiency on the volume of locally produced tobacco. He said the total volume of locally produced tobacco accounts for about 35% only of the requirement by the tobacco manufacturers.
“There’s a lot of interested stakeholders, who wanted to establish a cigarette factory in our country, but our concern now is that, the country had only supplied 35% of the total volume of the tobacco raw materials needed by the local tobacco manufacturers,” he said.
To institutionalize the giving of assistance to the farmers, Sarmiento suggested to the local chief executives to organize the farmers into an association or a cooperative.
Aside from giving of farm input assistance, he advised the mayors to invest on the creation of water impounding facility as a sustainable source of water supply for tobacco growing.
In response, the LMP-Ilocos Norte chapter members, who were present during the meeting, welcomed Sarmiento’s recommendations. They were Albert Chua (Batac City), Rosalia Dupagen (Adams) Maximo Cajigal (Badoc), Crescente Garcia (Burgos), Robella Gaspar (Carasi), Edward Quilala (Currimao), Raffy Benemerito (Pagudpud), Rommel Labasan (Pinili), Richard Degala (Vintar), Tony Mariano (Marcos), Robert Aguinaldo (Pasuquin), Sheilla Galano (Paoay), and Solsona Vice Mayor Jonathan De Lara. Mayors of the rest of the LGUs in the provincd were represented by their municipal agriculture officers.
Sarmiento added that the consideration of these initiatives would anticipate the implementation of Section 16 of Republic Act 11346 that allot a maximum of P17 billion excise tax fund annually to be divided pro-rata by the beneficiary provinces according to the volume of Virginia tobacco production. The law also set aside a maximum of P4 billion excise tax fund annually to be divided among the provinces producing Burley and Native tobacco in accordance with the volume of tobacco leaf production.
Sarmiento also sought the support of the mayors to NTA’s request for budget from the Tobacco Fund, under Republic Act 4155, to funds projects of the agency to benefit local tobacco growers.
Other matters discussed were the current programs and projects of the NTA that benefit the local tobacco growers, and support
Joining Sarmiento during the meeting were NTA Governing Board members Nestor C. Casela, Wilfredo C. Martinez, Danilo C. Trongco, Luzviminda U. Padayao and Jessie Pat Serna; acting Deputy Administrator for Operations Dr. Giovanni Palabay, Regulation Manager Atty. Rohbert Ambros, Corporate Planning Manager Fortuna C. Benosa, Management Consultant Minerva P. Mizal, and NTA Ilocos Norte officer-in-charge Engr. Randy I. Abella.