By Freddie G. Lazaro

The National Tobacco Administration (NTA) started the nationwide distribution of the P100 million tobacco production grants to 16,666 qualified farmers for the cropping season 2024 – 2025.

NTA Administrator and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Belinda S. Sanchez led the giving of the tobacco production grant in Mindanao with Deputy Administrator for Operations (DAOP) Nestor C. Casela and NTA – Ilocos Norte Manager Randy I. Abella on December 12 – 13 at the towns of Gitagum and Laguindingan, both in Misamis Oriental province.

For the Mindanao area, 1,666 tobacco farmers were identified as recipients of the P6,000.00 grant from the provinces of Misamis Oriental, Agusan Del Sur, Zamboanga Sibugay, North Cotabato and Maguindano Del Sur, and Negros Oriental in Visayas. These provinces are notable producers of high-quality native-type tobacco in the southern part of the country.

The distribution of the cash grant to qualified tobacco farmers in all the NTA branch offices in the Luzon area is ongoing. The breakdown of the recipients is as follows: Abra – 992 tobacco farmers; Batac (Ilocos Norte) – 2,778 farmers; Cagayan – 700 farmers; Candon (Ilocos Sur) – 2,573 farmers; Isabela – 2,925; La Union – 1,667; Pangasinan – 1,765; and Vigan (Ilocos Sur) – 1,600.

The recipients must be NTA-registered tobacco farmers personally tilling a tobacco farm for cropping years 2023 – 2024 and 2024 – 2025 with one hectare and below for the farmers under NTA’s Tobacco Contract Growing System (TCGS) program or non-TCGS farmers growing tobacco in a .5 hectare and below land area.

Mindanao tobacco farmer leader Sonny Salvan, the president of the Federation of Gitagum Farmers Association in Misamis Oriental, expressed his gratitude to the NTA and the national government for providing P6,000.00 in assistance to the tobacco farmers in his town.

“The cash subsidy will bring relief for our smallholder – tobacco farmers from the high prices of farm inputs,” said Salvan, whose group comprises 11 barangay farmers association of Gitagum with 389 qualified grant recipients.

Gitagum town councilor Edwin Nestal said the cash grant was valuable to their tobacco farmers as this would augment the assistance (they) received from their local government unit (LGU) through their tobacco excise tax share.

Laguindingan town Mayor Diosdado T. Obsioma also thanked the national government, particularly the NTA, for giving cash assistance to their tobacco farmers.

Mayor Obsioma cited the tobacco farmers as “new heroes” in his town due to their contribution to increasing tobacco production, which led to the rise of their excise tax share. He said the increase in their share from the tobacco excise tax is instrumental in upgrading his town’s income reclassification from 5th class to 2nd class.

Agriculture Undersecretary Deogracias Victor B. Savellano said the giving- out of production grant to the tobacco farmers was realized by the administration of President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. through Agriculture Secretary Francisco P. Tiu Laurel, Jr. and to the NTA to enhance the production of quality tobacco as the industry remains one of the strongest pillars of the country’s economy contributing 1% of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and 6% of the overall annual tax revenue collection.

Under Republic Act Nos. 7171 (for Virginia) and 8240 (for Burley and Native), tobacco-producing – LGUs gather their share from tobacco excise tax collections based on the volume of leaves produced by the local tobacco farmers. The national government obtains the biggest share from the excise tax collection to fund its universal health care program. (Freddie G. Lazaro/DA- NTA)