By Manny Piñol
The photo of Philippine Eagle “Mindanao” will become the iconic image of the first farmer-owned motorcycle tire brand Pilipinas Agila.
Former Agriculture Undersecretary Segfredo Serrano, a bird photography enthusiast who retired recently, has given the Philippine Rubber Farmers’ Cooperative the permission to use the photo that he took of “Mindanao” as the symbol of the farmers’ tire brand.
The Pilipinas Agila Tire which will be launched on April 26 at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Mandaluyong will mark the first successful attempt of the Department of Agriculture (DA) to elevate the Filipino farmers from the status of primary materials producer to the level of processor, manufacturer and merchandiser of their farm produce.
The PRFC was given a loan of P10-M by the DA through the Agricultural CreditPolicy Council ( ACPC) to be used in buying the natural rubber produce of its members.
The raw rubber called “cup lumps” will then be processed to SPR-20 Rubber Cubes which PRFC will deliver to Leo Tire Manufacturing in Valenzuela, Bulacan to be used in manufacturing motorcyle tires.
The motorcyle tires which will carry the brand name Pilipinas Agila will then be marketed by the PRFC all over the country.
The initial production will just be one motorcyle tire size – 300 x 17 – used in tricycles and utility motorcycles including the “habal-habal.”
PRFA President Armando Pedregoza said the project is aimed at giving rubber farmers the opportunity to earn more because profits from the sale of the tires will be shared with the cooperative’s members.
“We will start with this motorcycle tires kasi ito ang pinaka saleable then later we could produce small tractor, multicab and pick up tires,” he said.
For the country’s rubber farmers, the move by the DA to help them become manufacturers and merchandisers of high value items out of the raw rubber that they produce marks the start of their liberation from the control and manipulation of traders and middlemen.
(Photo of Eagle “Mindanao” taken by former DA Usec Fred Serrano. Photos of Pilipinas Agila tires were taken by DA AFID.)
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