NTA Ilocos Norte launched the Tobacco Monitoring Point at the Ilocos Norte-Ilocos Sur Boundary with a multi-sectoral orientation seminar at the Branch Office in Batac City on March 8.
Branch Manager Luzviminda U. Padayao and Dir. Nestor C. Casela of the NTA Governing Board spearheaded the pre-trading activity, with representatives from cooperating agencies and units in attendance.
They were Atty. Pancho Jose, Chief of Staff of the Office of the Governor (representing Governor Matthew Marcos Manotoc); LtCol. Paul Parado, representing PCol. Julius C. Suriben, Provincial Director of the Philippine National Police; Engr. Ma. Teresa L. Bacnat, Officer-in-Charge (OIC), Provincial Agriculturist Office; Luzviminda Ortal, OIC Sustainable Development Center, representatives of the different tobacco-producing municipalities, and the private sector.
After the orientation, Padayao and some participants proceeded to the Ilocos Norte-Ilocos Sur boundary along the national highway in Barangay Sta. Cruz in Badoc, Ilocos Norte for the inspection of the checkpoint quarter.
“Monitoring of the goods ensures that tobacco production in Ilocos Norte is properly documented and to check whether the leaf buyers have the proper documents issued by the NTA,” said Padayao. She added that protocols in monitoring the tobacco production in the province will result in the correct and verified documentation of areas planted and that the local government units will have an equitable share from the tobacco excise tax under Republic Act (RA) Nos. 7171 and 8240, as amended by RA 10351.
Acting Chief Agriculturist Divina D. Pagdilao explained that checkpoint personnel will inspect travel documents of buyers and transporters of leaf tobacco, which include License/Certificate of Authority, Certificate of Inspection, Permit to Transport, and Certificate of Purchase (for Field Canvassers), and indicated Buying Station or the destination of their deliveries outside the province.Trading season official starts on March 17 with the opening of the buying station of Leaf buyer Universal Leaf Philippines, Inc. (ULPI) in the province.
[Melanie Rapiz-Parel & Divina D. Pagdilao / Photo credit: Norvelyn D. Cabanatan]