By Manny Piñol
Filipino Facebook users have expressed pride and joy with the introduction of the first Farmer-owned motorcycle tire brand, Pilipinas Agila, which will be launched next month.
Facebook follower Boy Acasio said:
“Boy Acasio Wow congratulations 
this is feeling patriotism and nationalism! Pinoy tayo dapat suportahan itong program. Build another plant in Zamboanga peninsula as well as Cotabato province.”
this is feeling patriotism and nationalism! Pinoy tayo dapat suportahan itong program. Build another plant in Zamboanga peninsula as well as Cotabato province.”Another follower, Bobby Espedilla Riveral posted:
“Espedilla Riveral Bobby Hi sir Manny! Im the no.1 online tire seller in our country. Im interested to develop your product in the market.”
Still another follower volunteered to improve the Eagle logo of the tire:
“Rj S. Perez Medyo nagmukhang kabayo ang logo. Commission me Sec. Piñol I’ll do the Eagle logo for Free. Pasensya na po sa artist hope maayos pa.”
Here are the other comments which I picked from the comments box of the post I made on the launching of the Pilipinas Agila tires yesterday:
“Dionisio Omega Pino Jr. Hi mr sec.manny.
Pls give me a contact no.
I want to distribute and introduce this in my barangay.
Her in north cebu..thks”
“Jigs Rebucan Bakit ang tagal nyo’ng dumating? Thank you mga sir, sec,prrd, all who support this kind of program. Long term program….. Mabuhay”
“Racer-x Davao Wow! at last rubber trees planters have their own Bsnzz oppurtunities! a very good beginning for the Cotabato rubber tree planters!”
“Fernando M. Mascariñas Wow… Hope this can be replicated to the Rice Farmers, Coconut, Palm Oil sectors. The Cacao and Coffee I think is doing well with so many coffee shops and choco producers directly helping them. But government should still intervene as needed!”
“Cee Dee Are Yannn! Mga ganitong good news maganda talagang mabasa ng madlâ. At last, nagbunga na ang iyong isang punla Sec. MannyPiñol. This initiative started last year if I remember right. Sana magtuluy-tuloy. “
“Julius ColisParejo Wow! Galing!!!
Tangkilikin Ang gawang Pinoy..
Huwag palinlang sa mga advertisement ng mga imported brannd.”
“Dennis Azreb EMPOWERING THE FARMERS/FISHERMEN… TATAK TATAY DIGONG! SALAMAT SEC PIÑOL!”
“Marlon Marcelo I’ll buy that tire for my bike. pwede ba ako mag benta nyan?”
“Blackie Sy Uy Pilipinas Aguila tire is the best in the Phillippines. Because it’s made of fresh raw rubber tree materials.”
The positive comments were a welcome relief after a two-year struggle by the Department of Agriculture (DA) to start the establishment of the rubber processing facility to ensure that farmers get added value from their raw rubber cup lumps.
The dream started big with a grand plan to establish a tire factory near the rubber farms in Mindanao with a Finland-based company initially expressing interest to undertake it.
When the group seemed to have lost the traction, a fuel company expressed interest to undertake the project only to back off after realising that the facility would need about P10-B.
In the end, it was the perseverance of my brother, Cotabato Board Member Socrates Piñol who discovered a small bicycle and motorcycle tire factory in Valenzuela, Bulacan which was willing to manufacture the Pilipinas Agila Tires on a tolling basis.
Leo Tire Manufacturing which also produces motorcycle and bicycle tires for the local and foreign market entered into an agreement with the Philippine Rubber Farmers Association, now a cooperative, to process the farmers’ rubber produce into motorcycle tires.
The PRFC will supply Leo Tire Manufacturing with semi-processed rubber called SPR-20 which the latter will pay in the form of motorcycle tires under the brand name Pilipinas Agila.
The initial production under the agreement is the heavy-duty motorcycle tire with the size 300 x 17 used for “Habal-habal” and tricycle.
The PRFA will withdraw the manufactured tires from Leo Tire Manufacturing and do the marketing themselves where farmers expect to earn a handsome profit.
“From there, we will expand later to tires for small farm tractors and multi-cabs. Hopefully, before the end of the term of President (Rody) Duterte, we will be able to establish our own small factory near our farms,” said PRFA President Armando Pedregosa.
The patriotic reaction of netizens could be an indicator of the expected success of the tire manufacturing project which will be the first brand to be owned by the farmers.
For the DA, this is the first major step in the effort to elevate the farmers from the status of just being a raw materials producer to a processor and merchandiser of his produce.
(This beautiful portrait of Philippine Eagle Mindanao was taken by Undersecretary Segfredo Serrano, a certified bird lover and watcher. He has volunteered the free use of this picture in the promotional and marketing campaign of the Pilipinas Agila Tire. Succeeding photos show the first set of tires manufactured and the facilities in Valenzuela, Bulacan where the tires will be made.)
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