by Franklin P.
Gumapon
DIPOLOG CITY, Nov.
7 – In keeping with the national government’s goal of doubling rubber
production by 2016, the provincial office of the Department of Trade and
Industry (DTI) in Zamboanga del Norte has recently spearheaded the organization
of the ZaNorte Rubber Cluster Team.
After presenting
the issues and opportunities involving rubber production, DTI Provincial
Director Noel Bazan facilitated the creation of the rubber cluster team with
the Department of Agriculture (DA) as chair.
The team has also
three vice chairs coming from the farmers association, business/traders group
and the processor sector. Its members are the Department of Science and Technology
(DOST), Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA), Department
of Agrarian Reform (DAR), Department of Environment and Natural Resources
(DENR), Philippine Information Agency (PIA), Jose Rizal Memorial State
University (JRMSU), Dipolog Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DCCI), and other
stakeholders in the rubber industry.
DTI, on the other
hand, serves as the team’s secretariat.
Moreover, a report
from the DENR’s provincial office disclosed that Zamboanga del Norte has around
1,200 hectares planted to rubber.
It was also learned
that the DENR is targeting to cover 100 thousand hectares to be planted with
rubber under its National Greening Program (NGP). (JPA/FPG/PIA-Zamboanga del
Norte)