By Alfonso T. Ruda
DIPOLOG CITY - The Department of Trade and Industry through the Bureau of Philippine Standards conducted a Rubber Quality Improvement Advocacy Seminar at the Top Plaza Hotel here recently.
DTI-Zamboanga del Norte Provincial Director Eng. Noel S. Bazan said the seminar, which was participated in by the rubber farmers all over the province, aimed to improve the quality of rubber products in the region, particularly in Zamboanga del norte in preparation for the ASEAN integration in 2015.
In her message, DTI-9 Regional Director Sitti Amina M. Jain, urged the rubber farmers to give priority to the quality of their rubber and avoid using battery solution and foreign objects into their product.
Ms Fernando of the DTI’s Bureau of Philippine Standards (BPS) talked on the standardization activity on rubber and rubber-based products, Standards Development Program and the ASEAN Integration.
The BPS was established by Republic Act 4109, also known as the standardization law of the Philippines and by Executive Order No. 133.
It serves as the Natiional Standards Body of the Philippines, tasked to develop, promulgate, implement and coordinate standardization activities in the Philippines.
On the other hand, Engr. Roger Bagaforo of the Department of Agriculture (DA) shared the best agricultural practices on rubber, stressing the importance of proper preparation of planting sites and quality planting materials to produce quality rubber.
According to Bagaforo, the establishment of a nursery offers the advanrages of producing large number of good and healthy planting materials at the earliest possible time with less expense.
However, he also cited some factors to be considered in the eatablsihment of a nursery, like the availability of constant supply of water; flat and well-drained terrain; open area with fence; passable with transportation; near the area to be planted; availability of bush for scions, manpower and propagators and demand of the planting materials.
On the rubber latext harvesting, he pointed out the need for a good tapper who must have a good pulse to avoid deep wounding on the tree, able to maintain the required slope of the tapping, able to finish the tapping at the earliest possible time, and should be in good health to be able to do his work efficiently.
The Rubber Quality Improvement Advocacy Seminar here is the first of the three seminars to be conducted in the Zamboanga Peninsula region. Similar seminars would be also conducted in Pagadian City and Ipil, Zamboanga Sibugay.
