RUBBER industry players, along with concerned government agencies, are pushing for a certification in International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 2000 for the rubber testing laboratory based in Zamboanga City.
The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) and Department of Science and Technology (DOST), with the Philippine Rubber Industry Association (Pria), Association of Natural Rubber Producing Countries, and among other concerned agencies involved in the development and promotion of the industry, agreed to acquire the standard certification by next year.
Undersecretary Zenaida C. Maglaya of DTI-Regional Operations Group told reporters Tuesday at a press conference during the 2nd Philippine Rubber Investment and Market Encounter (Prime) 2015 at the SMX Convention Center that such initiative is part of their commitment that the Philippines will have at least one ISO-certified laboratory to boost the country's position in the Asean integration.
"We already have three laboratories now in Mindanao but what is important is not just having a mere laboratory here but a laboratory that is recognized with the international standards because the test results will be acceptable to countries who want to use the rubber products, the quality of our products should conform with the standards," she said.
According to Pria's National Rubber R&D Agenda, quality of natural rubber is one of the top issues affecting competitiveness of the industry.
The three rubber testing laboratory in Mindanao are the DOST laboratory in Zamboanga, which is being prioritized by the government to be ISO-accredited, Philippine Rubber Testing Center (PRTC) in University of Southern Mindanao, and Department of Agriculture (DA)-operated rubber laboratory in Ipil, Zamboanga Sibugay.
“For the industry players to be able to comply the requirements of the market one should pass all the tests as specified under ISO 2000 series of 2015, this is the standards that provides for the specification of technically specified rubber,” Maglaya said.
DTI-National Rubber Industry Cluster coordinator Sitti Amina M. Jain, for her part, said that the target they set with DA, Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) and Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) to achieve a 200,000 hectares (has) of rubber producing areas in the country by 2016 has already achieved as early as last year with already 217,687 has.
“Of the 217,687 has, 99 percent of which are located in Mindanao led by the Zamboanga Peninsula with 86,542 has. Part of our roadmap is to enable and position Mindanao as a manufacturing hub in the country,” Jain said.
Davao Region has a total of 8,518 hectares devoted to rubber.
On the issue of the fluctuating price of rubber in the country, where from P175 per kilo of dry rubber in 2011, it decreased dramatically to P60 to P65 per kilo, Sheela Thomas, secretary general of Association of Natural Rubber Producing Countries said that price of natural rubber is dependent on the economy.
“Primarily, the major factors affecting the price is the demand is lower because of slow economy of a certain country and the supply is marginally exceeds the demand,” Thomas said.
With this, the farmers and industry players are urged to value-add their rubber products and should not sole rely on producing raw materials of rubber.
“Through value-adding, we will not be that affected by the fluctuation of rubber prices,” Thomas added.
Also, a Rubber Stabilization Fund is seen to help small farmers to stabilize the situation of the most affected sector in the industry in the volatile price of rubber.
Meanwhile, some 700 participants of the Prime 2015, which will until Wednesday (today) attended the congress all in the effort to discuss various issues and concerns affecting the rubber industry.