First introduced in 1592, tobacco continues to dominate the social, political, and economic life in the Philippine regions where it is grown. The tobacco industry is a major force in the development of these areas, especially in Ilocos, in which it is still one of the region's leading sources of income.
Tobacco came to the Philippines in 1592, when the Spanish Galleon San Clemente arrived in Manila carrying 50 kilos of Cuban tobacco seeds that were part of the Manila-Acapulco trade route. It is said that the first seeds were planted by Catholic Friars in Cagayan Valley. With a climate similar to the Vuelta Abajo region in Pinar del Rio, Cuba, the crop began to flourish and a new source of income was introduced to Spain. [1] [2]
In 1780, the tobacco monopoly was established, and the Filipinos, especially in the Ilocos and Cagayan Valley were forced to plant tobaccos and were given a specific quota to produce. Initially, tobacco farmers were treated fairly, but in the end, they abhorred tobacco because of the abuses committed by the Spaniards as they were forced to grow this crop. The monopoly did not only force the people, especially those from the north and Cagayan, to grow tobacco but compelled them to produce more than what their piece of land could yield. [3]
In 1882, the tobacco monopoly was abolished, but the knowledge in growing the crop remained. Until its reintroduction in the early 1900s, tobacco is grown for home consumption and by those who learned to smoke. Later on, the tobacco industry again flourished and new types were introduced.
The decade after the recognition of Philippine independence marked a return of the tobacco industry to economic prominence in the Ilocos region. [4] After reading a feature article series by Maximo Soliven which explained why Virginia tobacco would grow well on Ilocos soil, businessman Harry Stonehill was convinced to invest extensively in rebuilding the industry, establishing the Philippine Tobacco Flue-Curing and Redrying Corporation (PTFCRC) in 1951 and recruiting farmers from throughout Region 1 to produce tobacco. [5] [6] The following year, La Union Congressman Manuel T. Cases filed a bill to "limit the importation of foreign leaf tobacco," which was eventually signed by President Elpidio Quirino as Republic Act 698. [7] This allowed Stonehill's investments to make a handsome profit, [8] and the newly-rebuilt local industry to bloom. [5] Stonehill was later deported a decade later, in the 1960s, for tax evasion and bribery of government officials, in what would later be called the Stonehill scandal, [8] but the tobacco industry continued to grow. [9] [8]
There are 3 types of tobacco that are locally grown in the Philippines:
Virginia tobacco is mostly grown in Region 1 (Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, La Union) and CAR (Abra);
Burley tobacco is grown in Region 1 (La Union and Pangasinan), and CAR (Abra), Region 2 (Isabela and Cagayan), Region 3 (Tarlac), and Mimaropa (Occidental Mindoro); and
Native tobacco is grown in Region 1, Region 2 (Cagayan, Isabela, Quirino, and Nueva Vizcaya), the Visayan provinces of Cebu, Iloilo, Capiz, Leyte, and Negros Oriental, and the Mindanao provinces of Maguindanao, Zamboanga del Sur, Bukidnon, Misamis Ortiental, and North Cotabato. [10]
Tobacco season varies depending on the type and region. In Luzon where Virginia is grown, the season starts around October until May. Burley and Native season starts around mid-November and until June (Burley) and July (Native). In the Visayas where Native is grown, the season starts from March to August/September. In Mindanao, Native tobacco season is from April/May until October/November. [11] To cure the leaves, traditional tobacco farmers use either air-curing or fire-curing methods, while others use the flue-curing method. [12]
According to the National Tobacco Administration's 2019 report, the tobacco production for each type is as follows: Virginia with 21,322,878.67 Kg or 45.79% of the total volume, Native with 11,632,507.16 Kg or 24.98% of the total, and Burley with 13,616,289.23 Kg or 29.24% of the total volume. [13]
Tobacco pricing varies per leaf. The NTA mandates the floor prices according to leaf grades:
| Grade | Virginia | Grade | Burley | Grade | Native |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AA | 81.00 | HIGH | 70.00 | ||
| A | 79.00 | A | 68.00 | M1 | 56.00 |
| B | 77.00 | B | 65.00 | M2 | 48.00 |
| C | 75.00 | C | 56.00 | L1 | 40.00 |
| D | 68.00 | D | 45.00 | L2 | 28.00 |
| E | 67.00 | E | 44.00 | ||
| F1 | 59.00 | FF | 37.00 | ||
| F1 | 56.00 | ||||
| R | 46.00 | R | 28.00 |
Cagayan Valley, designated as Region II, is an administrative region in the Philippines. Located in the northeastern section of Luzon, it is composed of five Philippine provinces: Batanes, Cagayan, Isabela, Nueva Vizcaya, and Quirino. The region hosts four chartered cities: Cauayan, Ilagan, Santiago, and Tuguegarao.
Ilocos Norte, officially the Province of Ilocos Norte, is a province of the Philippines located in the Ilocos Region. Its capital is Laoag City, located in the northwest corner of Luzon Island, bordering Cagayan and Apayao to the east, and Abra to the southeast, and Ilocos Sur to the southwest. Ilocos Norte faces the West Philippine Sea to the west and the Luzon Strait to the north.
Ilocos Sur, officially the Province of Ilocos Sur, is a province in the Philippines located in the Ilocos Region in Luzon. Located on the mouth of the Mestizo River is the capital of Vigan. Ilocos Sur is bordered by Ilocos Norte and Abra to the north, Mountain Province to the east, La Union and Benguet to the south and the South China Sea to the west.
La Union, officially the Province of La Union, is a province in the Philippines located in the Ilocos Region in the island of Luzon. Its capital is the City of San Fernando, which also serves as the regional center of the Ilocos Region.
Cagayan, officially the Province of Cagayan, is a province in the Philippines located in the Cagayan Valley region, covering the northeastern tip of Luzon. Its capital is the city of Tuguegarao. It is about 431 kilometres (268 mi) northwest of Manila, and includes the Babuyan Islands to the north. The province borders Ilocos Norte and Apayao to the west, and Kalinga and Isabela to the south.
Nueva Vizcaya, officially the Province of Nueva Vizcaya, is a landlocked province in the Philippines located in the Cagayan Valley region in Luzon. Its capital is Bayombong. It is bordered by Benguet to the west, Ifugao to the north, Isabela to the northeast, Quirino to the east, Aurora to the southeast, Nueva Ecija to the south, and Pangasinan to the southwest. Quirino province was created from Nueva Vizcaya in 1966.
The Cordillera Administrative Region, also known as the Cordillera Region and Cordillera, is an administrative region in the Philippines, situated within the island of Luzon. It is the only landlocked region in the insular country, bordered by the Ilocos Region to the west and southwest, and by the Cagayan Valley Region to the north, east, and southeast. It is the least populous region in the Philippines, with a population less than that of the city of Manila.
The Ilocos Region, designated as Region I, is an administrative region of the Philippines. Located in the northwestern section of Luzon, it is bordered by the Cordillera Administrative Region to the east, the Cagayan Valley to the northeast and southeast, Central Luzon to the south, and the South China Sea to the west.
Tubo, officially the Municipality of Tubo, is a 4th class municipality in the province of Abra, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 5,674 people.
Bantay, officially the Municipality of Bantay, is a 3rd class municipality in the province of Ilocos Sur, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 37,118 people. It is situated just north-east of Vigan, the provincial capital.
Cervantes, officially the Municipality of Cervantes, is a 4th class municipality in the province of Ilocos Sur, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 19,449 people.
Santa, officially the Municipality of Santa, is a 4th class municipality in the province of Ilocos Sur, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 14,992 people.
Quirino, officially the Municipality of Quirino, is a 4th class municipality in the province of Isabela, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 25,023 people.
The Ilocanos, Ilokanos, or Iloko people are the third largest Filipino ethnolinguistic group. They mostly reside within the Ilocos Region, in the northwestern seaboard of Luzon, Philippines. The native language of the Ilocano people is the Ilocano language.
Partas Transportation Co., Inc. is a bus transportation company in the Philippines. It operates a 24/7 service for passengers and freight between Metro Manila and northern Luzon, with services also running to the Cordilleras in Baguio, Bangued in Abra, and also to the south Occidental Mindoro. Partas also offers chartered service for tour groups.
GV. Florida Transport, Inc., formerly Florida Liner, is a Philippine bus company based in Barangay Matucay Allacapan, Cagayan. Established in 1970 by Virgilio Florida, Sr., the company operates buses to Northern Luzon destinations. Currently managed by brothers George and Virgilio Florida, Jr., and along with Harry D. Florida, Chief Operator Executive, the current municipal mayor of Allacapan, Cagayan.
The Solid North refers to the regional voting bloc of the northern provinces of the Philippines for politicians of Ilocano descent, more particularly the Marcos family and their allies, and also economic issues affecting the Ilocanos in general such as the tobacco industry. Often included in Solid North are the provinces in the Ilocos Region, Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR), and Cagayan Valley. The regions are considered to be a conservative/right-wing bastion for the country.
In May 2017, the House of Representatives of the Philippines began an investigation into alleged misuse of tobacco excise tax funds in the province of Ilocos Norte from 2010 to 2016, representing the first two gubernatorial terms of Imee Marcos, who was serving her third and last gubernatorial term at the time the investigation was initiated. Marcos, her longtime partner Mark Chua, and six Ilocos Norte local officials - Pedro Agcaoili, Eden Batulayan, Josephine Calajete, Encarnacion Gaor, Genedine Jambaro, and Evangeline Tabulog - were implicated in the investigation.
Philippines's 1st senatorial district, officially the First Senatorial District of the Philippine Islands, was one of the twelve senatorial districts of the Philippines in existence between 1916 and 1935. It elected two members to the Senate of the Philippines, the upper chamber of the bicameral Philippine Legislature under the Insular Government of the Philippine Islands for each of the 4th to 10th legislatures. The district was created under the 1916 Jones Law from the northern Luzon provinces of Batanes, Cagayan, Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur and Isabela. Abra was added in 1917 upon its re-establishment as a regular province separate from Ilocos Sur.
The Mount Data Peace Accord is a peace deal signed between the government of the Philippines and the Cordillera People's Liberation Army on September 13, 1986, ending hostilities due to the latter's campaign for greater autonomy for the Cordillera region.
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