The Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic and Natural Resources Research and Development (PCAARRD) represented the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) in the recent hearing called by the Committee on Agriculture and Food to finalize the bill creating the Philippine Rubber Industry Development Board (PHILRUBBER).
PCAARRD was represented by Dr. Marcelino U. Siladan, the Industry Strategic S&T Program (ISP) Manager for Rubber from the Forestry and Environment Research Division (FERD) and Technical Working Group (TWG) member of PHILRUBBER, and Meliza F. Abeleda of the Policy Advocacy Group- Socio-Economics Research Division (SERD).
The existing Philippine Rubber TWG organized in 2012 was absorbed by the TWG established by Congress to review and finalize the bill. The new TWG is chaired by Zamboanga 3rd District Rep. Isagani Amatong, who also authored the proposed legislation. Other than DOST, the members are the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), Department of Agriculture (DA), Bureau of Agricultural Research (BAR), Philippine Rubber Research Institute (PRRI), Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), and processors and manufacturers.
The bill proposes for the creation of PHILRUBBER, which shall be an attached agency to the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI).
PCAARRD supports the creation of PHILRUBBER to orchestrate the development of the industry. If approved, PHILRUBBER shall provide the legal basis and authority to the already established Philippine Rubber TWG to implement programs and activities for the advancement of the industry. PHILRUBBER shall promote the development and growth of the rubber industry by improving production, productivity, quality, and by expanding manufacturing and export of rubber and rubber products.
The TWG agrees that no single agency can handle industry development alone. The members will converge their initiatives to make rubber a sustainable socio-economic enterprise.
To ensure that there will be no conflict in the functions of other agencies, the bill was reviewed against Republic Act No. 1008, which created the Philippine Rubber Research Institute.