'Sunset' Time for Tobacco Leaf

Source from:  opinion.inquirer.net Philippine Daily Inquirer 06/20/2008 06/20/2008

It is ironic, but just five days before the "World No Tobacco Day" last May 30, the Philippine Daily Inquirer published an article headlined "It's sunrise once again for Ilocos' golden leaf." Tobacco smoking has been banned in many developed countries (the United States, Canada, Australia, Europe, etc.) because it has been proven to be the main cause of various cancers, stroke, heart and lung diseases, etc. The tobacco manufacturers are now zeroing in on developing countries like the Philippines which have less awareness of the ill-effects of tobacco-smoking. The "sunrise" for the tobacco leaves in the Ilocos region is said to be a result of the endeavor of the local government to raise the selling price of tobacco leaves. It is bad enough that cigarette manufacturers are pushing the sale of this deadly venom here-but our government abetting it makes things worse. Where's the priority of our government? The Tobacco Regulation Act 2003 (Republic Act 9211) mandates the National Tobacco Administration (NTA) to assist farmers in shifting to alternative crops other than tobacco, but it seems the NTA is not doing its job. Other governments, such as neighboring Malaysia, have already begun phasing out tobacco farming in their countries. With the severe rice crisis now being experienced by our country and even the world, agricultural areas planted to tobacco should be planted instead with rice and other food crops. For the healthy sunrise of the Filipino people, the "golden" tobacco leaf should be given a "golden" sunset. Enditem