Tobacco summit set today

VIGAN CITY – Farmers, manufacturers, traders – will gather together in this city today for the 2005 Region I Tobacco Summit Conference.

Agriculture Secretary Arthur Yap and Ilocos Sur Governor Luis "Chavit" Singson will be the main speakers in the summit that will be held at the Baluarte Hills residence here of Singson, Administrator Carlitos Encarnacion of the National Tobacco Administration (NTA) said.

Singson is acknowledged as the chief advocate of the tobacco industry and had authored R.A. 7171 during a brief stint in Congress that flows back 15 percent of tobacco excise tax revenue collections of the government annually to the Virginia tobacco producing Ilocos provinces.

Encarnacion said that the summit will tackle issues concerning the production of quality tobacco which NTA is reportedly pursuing "inorder to take advantage of the continuously growing consumption, locally and internationally, of tobacco products." – Teddy Molina