The 13th PhilRubber Technical Working Group (PRTWG) meeting held recently at Makati Palace Hotel focused on planned activities for the holding of the 2nd Philippine Rubber Investment and Market Encounter (PRIME).
Held for the first time on September 18-19, 2012 at Holiday Inn, Clark, Pampanga, PRIME provides a platform in improving the status of the country’s rubber industry.
PRIME connects the producers and manufacturers, enables the entry of new technology, provides access to financing for development of processing and production, and creates an enabling environment for the rubber industry through necessary policies.
Rubber Industry Strategic S&T Program Manager Marcelino U. Siladan of the Forestry and Environment Research Division (FERD) of the Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic and Natural Resources Research and Development of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST-PCAARRD) represented the Council in the meeting.
As agreed upon the 11th PRTWG meeting in Davao City, the 2nd PRIME will be held at SMX Convention Center, Lanang, Davao City and shall include technology exhibits on rubber production and processing.
DOST-funded technologies, both downstream and upstream, shall be showcased during the event.
Upstream technologies include planting material production, plantation development and management, and latex production. Downstream technologies, on the other hand, include secondary processing from latex to various rubber products and standards and testing.
PCAARRD attends to upstream technologies on rubber while the Philippine Council for Industry, Energy and Emerging Technology Research and Development (PCIEERD) attends to downstream technologies.
PCAARRD has likewise funded the Rubber Science and Technology Community-based Farm in Tampilisan, Zamboanga del Norte, a showcasing of package of technology for rehabilitating unproductive and senescent rubber trees.
Also discussed during the 11th PRTWG meeting was the proposed structure of the PhilRubber TWG. The PRTWG shall be chaired by the private sector and co-chaired by two lead government agencies – the Department of Agriculture for the upstream sector and the Department of Trade and Industry for the downstream sector.
Based on the 12th PRTWG meeting in Puerto Princesa City, Palawan, the PRTWG member agencies provided updates on their respective commitments to the 2015-2016 PHLRubber Action Plan.
Helping the rubber industry achieve growth is one of PCAARRD’s many research and development initiatives in connection with Outcome One of the DOST.
Outcome One seeks to provide science-based know-how and tools that will enable the agriculture sector to raise productivity to world-class standards.