The Department of Agriculture (DA) is stepping up its efforts to boost the local rubber industry by establishing facilities in Zamboanga Sibugay dedicated to its research and development (R&D).

The DA and its attached bureau, the Philippine Rubber Research Institute (PRRI), signed on Thursday a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) for the construction of the Research and Development Buildings, Experimental Station, and Propagation Nursery in a seven-hectare lot within the DA-Integrated Zamboanga Sibugay Research and Extension Services in Zamboanga Peninsula.

Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. said these initiatives are pivotal in providing rubber growers with the necessary resources for advancement.

He further acknowledged the local rubber industry's potential growth and capacity to improve the lives of people from Mindanao, saying that PRRI's challenge is to ‘actively push’ for development programs and projects to support the country's 700,000 rubber growers.

“Only when the PRRI succeeds in these initiatives can it ensure a rubber industry that is dynamic, innovative, and self-sufficient,” he added.

Meanwhile, DA-PRRI Executive Director Dr. Cheryl Eusala expressed optimism that these government efforts will bring closer the goal of achieving a ‘Masaganang Bagong Pilipinas.’

“With this endowment, PRRI stands poised to establish a sanctuary of development for rubber growers, ensuring that no one is left behind,” she added.

In a statement, the DA said the Philippines accounted for one percent of rubber production worldwide in 2022, with a total output of 109,000 metric tons. According to the agency, most of the rubber exports came from Mindanao, home to almost 98 percent of the 234,600 hectares of rubber-planted areas in the said year.

Furthermore, the value of Philippine rubber exports and rubber products in the same year plunged to $278.2 million from $578.3 million in the previous year. This is attributable to the majority of processing and manufacturing being closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.