=A team of officials from the provincial government of Maguindanao Del Sur province headed by its Provincial Legal Officer, Atty. Josefina D. Torrena, paid a courtesy call on NTA Administrator and CEO Belinda S. Sanchez at the NTA Central Office in Quezon City on January 30 before they proceeded to Ilocos Sur and La Union for a three-day tobacco farm visit.
On behalf of Maguindanao Del Sur Governor Bai Mariam S. Mangudadatu, the officials expressed their gratitude to the tobacco agency for their support to the tobacco industry in the province with the release of their share, particularly for the municipalities of Pagalungan and Datu Montawal, from the tobacco excise tax as provided by Republic Act 8240, as amended.
Nelly G. Alba, Tobacco Production and Regulation Officer III who is based in Mindanao, accompanied the Maguindanao Del Sur officials in their benchmarking activity in the tobacco farm in Magsingal, Ilocos Sur. They also visited the office of the NTA Vigan and paid a courtesy call on Ilocos Sur Governor Jeremias Singson.
The team visited the office of the NTA La Union the next day before they returned to Manila.
The benchmarking activity of the Maguindanao Del Sur officials to the tobacco farms and NTA Branch offices in Ilocos Sur and La Union is part of their initiatives in their bid for the expansion of the tobacco plantations in the province.