Ilocos political leaders tackle problems of tobacco sector

It was the turn of Ilocos region’s political bigwigs led by Presidential Adviser for Northern Luzon Growth Management Area Luis "Chavit" Singson to tackle the problems besetting the tobacco industry.

Singson, joined by Ilocos Sur Reps. Salacnib Baterina (1st district) and Eric Singson (2nd district), Abra and Ilocos Norte Reps. Chito Bersamin and Roque Ablan Jr., and Governors Deogracias Victor Savellano and Victor Ortega of Ilocos Sur and La Union were ranged against representatives of the country’s leading cigarette manufacturers.

Department of Agriculture and National Tobacco Administration officials headed by Secretary Luis Lorenzo and Administrator Bert Illorin were on hand to steer the discussions held recently at Rembrandt Hotel in Quezon City.

Secretary Singson challenged the manufacturers to help save the tobacco industry while noting that their leaf requirements had long been sourced from local tobacco farmlands.

The NTA had just completed marathon dialogues with farmers in the Ilocos provinces to dissect and find solutions to the industry’s problems that resulted in hundreds of thousands in income loss to the farmers.

Reps. Singson and Baterina batted for the inclusion in a proposed "sin" tax measure in Congress of a provision mandating a percentage share of NTA from the resulting tax revenues. "The NTA share should go a long way in helping the agency resuscitate the tobacco industry," Singson said.

Speaking for the manufacturers, Frank Tan of Fortune Tobacco and Winston Uy of Lancaster Phils. pledged to continue buying from local leaf growers but asked that the NTA guard against farmers planting on salty farmlands.

They batted for high quality production, saying the market collapsed last season due to the prevalence of salty tobacco that made harvest inferior.