Government officials, tobacco farmers hold festival

CANDON CITY, Philippines – Top executives of tobacco buying companies, cigarette manufacturing firms and the National Tobacco Admnistration (NTA) headed by Administrator Carlitos Encarnacion joined House Deputy Speaker Eric Singson to celebrate Tobacco Festival 2009 which culminated in the selection of Miss Virginia Tobacco. 

Singson, organizer of the event, said the festival was intended as a thanksgiving occasion for the bounty that farmers continue to reap out of their labors in the tobacco farmlands.

Among the guests were Chris Nelson, managing director of Philip Morris Philippines Manufacturing Inc., Frank Tan, vice president of Fortune Tobacco Corp., Cesar Garcia, Fortune’s legal department head, and Rodolfo Salanga, chairman of Philipine Tobacco Institute.

“Let’s all thank God for the high quality leaves produced and the high prices they posted for the farmers,” he said in his address at the Candon Civic Center before the beauty contest began.

He also cited the leading role of the NTA in making farmers develop and sustain a high quality crop and the tobacco procuring companies in buying the leaves at “unprecedented” price levels.

It was learned that buying prices have reached P80 to P85 a kilo which is 30 percent higher than last year’s prices. The prices last year were also much higher than than those in the 2007 season.  

Encarnacion thanked President Arroyo and Agriculture Secretary Arthur Yap for their ceaseless support to the farmers while also noting that the industry continues to flourish with the cooperation extended by the private leaf-buying sector and cigarette manufacturers.

“Saan da kayo baybay-an uray kaano man (We will never forsake you,) “ the NTA chief told the farmers.  

Kashmir Hernaez, a college student, won from a field of 12 candidates who came from the tobacco-growing provinces as Miss Virginia Tobacco 2009.