Governor urges release of tobacco tax share

VIGAN CITY, Philippines  – Ilocos Sur Gov. Deogracias Victor Savellano urged yesterday the national government to release the province’s share from the Virgina tobacco excise tax collections to beef up the economic stimulus fund that he initiated in his province in the wake of the global financial crisis.

The program, “Sustainable Program for Enhancing Economic Development, which was launched last week has an initial outlay of P20-million.

To be funded under SPEED are livelihood activities for the local folks to engage in poultry and piggery production, vegetable raising, growing of herbal plants, planting of “caturay” and “malunggay” trees and backyard gardening.

Savellano is also spearheading the widespread use of the native abel clothing material for office and school uniforms to uplift the loom-weaving industry in the province.

For the poultry and piggery projects, the governor has prescribed a “super chicken” and the native hog varieties respectively. Called Ilocos Sur superchicken, the fowl variety is bigger than the ordinary chicken which has been developed by provincial technologists.

The Ilocos Sur governor who is also the chairman of the Regional Development Council said that other Ilocos provinces have expressed interest in his poultry project.

The national government owes Ilocos Sur about P200-millon as its share from tobacco tax collections, it was learned.

The province is the largest producer of Virginia tobacco in the country. The governmet collected P30-billion in tobacco excise taxes last year, it was learned.       – Teddy Molina