CONG. TUPAS ASKED TO QUESTION AGRI DEPT. ON RUBBER PRICE WOES

By Manny Pinol

Key administration ally Cong. Niel Tupas of Iloilo, a close friend of President Benigno S. Aquino III, has been asked by his former colleague, former North Cotabato Cong. Jun Pinol, to question the Department of Agriculture on the acttion it has taken to address the very low price of rubber cuplumps in North Cotabato.

Tupas, who was guest during the foundation anniversary of M’lang municipality last week, was briefed on the state of the rubber industry in the Southern Philippines during a dinner tendered by the former Congressman in his house in Kidapawan City.

“The rubber sector has largely been neglected by the Department of Agriculture for so long. It has survived on its own with hardly any government help,” Cong. Pinol told Tupas during the dinner which was also attended by M’lang Mayor Lito Pinol, Magpet Vice Mayor Efren Pinol and myself.

“This time, however, DA must step in to look into how it could support the rubber sector in these times when the price of rubber cuplumps is very low,” said Cong. Pinol.

While Tupas is not a member of the Agriculture Committee of Congress, he is considered very influential in the Aquino administration.

“I will take this up during the budget hearing of the Department of Agriculture,” Tupas promised the Pinol brothers during the family gathering.

Rubber farmers in North Cotabato have been suffering from the low price of their produce which has plummeted from a high of P95 per kilo a few years back to only P25 today.

During the dinner, Cong. Tupas was also briefed by the Pinol brothers on other measures which could be taken by the administration to support the rubber and the growing oil palm industries in the Southern Philippines.

The day after the gathering at Cong. Pinol’s home, Cong. Tupas was brought by his hosts to a tour of the rubber budwood nursery and Oil Palm nursery owned by the eldest Pinol brother, retired police colonel Patricio, in San Vicente, Makilala.

(Photos show Cong. Tupas being briefed by Col. Pat Pinol on Oil Palm showing him the large Dura planting materials for breeding and the RRIM Series 2000 rubber clones in his nursery in Makilala.)