KABACAN, North Cotabato – Thirty-two technologists of government agriculture agencies attended the first of a series of training programs on rubber production and management held recently at the University of Southern Mindanao (USM) here.
Titled "National Training of Trainers on Rubber Production and Management," the short-term course was conducted by the Bureau of Agricultural Research and Philippine Rubber Board, Inc., in coordination with the Agricultural Training Institute.
The participants were staff members of the BAR, DA Regional Integrated Agricultural Research Centers (RIARC), local government units, state colleges and universities, and the DA Regional Field Units. Most of them were from Mindanao and the rest were from Cagayan Valley and Ilocos Region.
They in turn will train others on the knowledge and skills they learned.
The resource persons were scientists and researchers of USM, the base institution of PhilRubber Research Center. They were Drs. Eugenio Alcala (PRBI executive director), Naomi Tangonan, Tenny Alcala, Romulo Cena, Adelfor Garcia, and Lorna Valdez, Prof. Anita Testado, and Rodolfo Galang of BAR.
The training was in line with the efforts of the government, through the DA headed by Agriculture Secretary Domingo F. Panganiban, to expand the area for rubber production and development.
"Currently, there is an urgent need for manpower support and the expansion of rubber plantations outside of Mindanao," said BAR, which is presently headed by Director Nicomedes P. Eleazar.
Dr. Eugenio Alcala said the key is to train more people in rubber production and management who in turn will share their knowledge to other rubber farmers and hopefully encourage them to increase their production.
"This is the only way the country can keep up with rubber-producing countries such as India, China and Thailand. The Philippines has a long way to go, but it can be started now since there is a growing interest in and demand for rubber in the global market," stressed Dr. Alcala.
Specifically, the national training program is expected to enable the participants to be more knowledgeable on rubber and the industry, the important cultural requirements and management, including strategies and effective means to disseminate knowledge and information to farmer clienteles.
The participants also had hands-on exercises and visited rubber projects in Cotabato province. They prepared action plans for future rubber projects.
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