National Tobacco Administration

11/06/2026

Sa pagdiriwang ng ating KALAYAAN, sama-sama nating haharapin ang isang mas maunlad na KINABUKASAN habang pinahahalagahan at ginugunita ang ating mayamang KASAYSAYAN.

Kasama ng sambayanang Pilipino, ang Pambansang Pangasiwaan ng Tabako o National To***co Administration ay patuloy na sumusuporta sa ating mga magsasaka at nagsisikap na makatulong sa pag-unlad ng kanilang kabuhayan at ng kanilang mga komunidad.

Maligayang Ika-128 Araw ng Kalayaan! 🇵🇭

Kalayaan. Kinabukasan. Kasaysayan.

05/06/2026

05/06/2026

04/06/2026

LOOK: The Internal Audit Division (IAD) of the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) conducted a benchmarking visit to the National To***co Administration (NTA) on June 3 as part of efforts to strengthen audit practices, governance, and accountability.

NTA Administrator and CEO Belinda S. Sanchez, together with Deputy Administrators Benedicto M. Savellano and Nestor C. Casela, welcomed the ERC delegation headed by Alma C. Clemente, Administrative Officer V. The activity focused on sharing best practices in internal auditing, risk management, internal controls, and governance.

Administrative Department Manager Dinah E. Pichay, former head of the NTA Internal Audit Department, also served as a resource person, sharing her expertise on governance, risk management, internal controls, and the evolving role of internal audit in promoting organizational excellence and accountability.

NTA Internal Audit Department Manager Anthony A. Lewis said benchmarking initiatives provide government agencies with opportunities to exchange experiences, address common challenges, and adopt practical approaches to enhance the effectiveness of their internal audit functions.

The visit reaffirmed both agencies' commitment to promoting transparency, accountability, and good governance in the public sector. (MRP)

27/05/2026

READ: Traders commit to buy all Virginia to***co this season

The National To***co Administration (NTA) has assured to***co farmers in the Ilocos Region, including Abra, that all flue-cured Virginia (FCV) to***co leaves produced this season will be purchased by traders following successful negotiations initiated by the agency last week.

NTA Administrator and CEO Belinda S. Sanchez said on Monday that to***co traders have committed to buy all locally produced to***co at reasonable prices based on the approved floor prices.

Sanchez, together with Deputy Administrator for Operations Nestor C. Casela, Deputy Administrator for Support Services Benedicto M. Savellano, and Regulation Department Manager Atty. Rohbert A. Ambros, began meeting with to***co traders and cigarette manufacturers as early as March this year to address concerns over a possible to***co “stop-buying” situation due to oversupply of locally produced to***co leaves.

The projected five-million-kilogram overproduction was attributed to the increasing number of non-contracted to***co farmers cultivating traditional Virginia to***co varieties with strong support from the local government units (LGUs) that encouraged them to expand their area due to strong market demand in the past two trading seasons.

The estimated overproduction represents about 27 percent more than the 18.05-million-kilogram purchase commitment of Virginia to***co leaves by the trading companies and cigarette manufacturers for 2026 trading season.

“The to***co supply was short in the last two years, resulting in strong demand and unexpectedly high prices. However, this trading season, prices declined due to overproduction, consistent with the law of supply and demand,” Casela explained.

During the 2025 trading season, the highest buying price for prime-class FCV to***co leaves reached as much as ₱130 per kilogram. This year, however, the highest buying price for prime-class FCV to***co has so far reached only ₱105 per kilogram. Despite the decline, current buying prices remain higher than the approved floor prices.

For the 2026 trading season, the approved floor prices for FCV to***co range from ₱98 per kilogram for Class AA leaves to ₱62 per kilogram for reject-quality leaves.

Aside from overproduction, Casela noted that poor-quality to***co leaves were also observed this season due to limited irrigation water supply and unfavorable agro-climatic conditions brought about by extreme heat.

To address concerns over oversupply and declining to***co leaves quality, Administrator Sanchez and Deputy Administrator Casela recently met with mayors and municipal agriculturists from Virginia to***co-producing LGUs and urged them to encourage farmers to participate in the To***co Contract Growing System (TCGS).

Under the TCGS, authorized to***co companies commit to purchase the produce of contracted farmers under agreed terms and conditions, providing farmers with assured markets and more stable income. Contract growers are also given access to production inputs, technical assistance, and financial support from to***co companies to help improve both the quality and volume of their harvests.

Currently, only around 10,000 of the country’s 45,000 registered to***co farmers are enrolled in the NTA’s TCGS program. Of the total number of registered to***co farmers, about 25,000 are contracted by private sector companies. (Freddie Lazaro, DA -NTA)






Photo courtesy of NTA - La Union

25/05/2026

READ: NTA rolls out RSAS orientation to strengthen to***co industry monitoring

The National To***co Administration (NTA) has started the implementation of the Registration System for Agri-Storage (RSAS) through an initial pilot orientation aimed at strengthening monitoring, transparency, and regulatory compliance in the to***co industry.

The orientation, spearheaded by the NTA Regulation Department, headed by Atty. Rohbert A. Ambros was conducted in line with Republic Act No. 12022, or the Anti-Agricultural Economic Sabotage Act, and its implementing guidelines under Department of Agriculture Memorandum Circular No. 03, series of 2026.

The activity guided participants through the step-by-step procedures for registration and system enrollment in the RSAS Digital Platform, including its operational requirements and features. The initiative forms part of the government’s broader digitalization efforts to improve accountability and monitoring mechanisms in the agricultural sector.

Atty. Luke T. Jickain, head of the Legal and Policy Section of the Agricultural and Fisheries Logistics Office (AFLO), discussed the legal framework and policy basis of the RSAS implementation.

Meanwhile, Darlene R. Abainza, project manager of the Department of Agriculture-Information and Communications Technology Service (DA-ICTS), presented an overview of the system, while system developer Jay Von Paul M. Malabanan conducted a live demonstration and walkthrough of the digital platform.

The two-day orientation gathered stakeholders from various sectors of the to***co industry. The first batch, composed of registered importers, exporters, transhippers, and manufacturers, attended the face-to-face session held on May 18 at the NTA Central Office Training Room.

The second batch was conducted virtually on May 19 and was attended by registered wholesale to***co dealers (WTDs), redrying plants (RPs), buying stations (BS), and branch office focal persons.

NTA Administrator and CEO Belinda S. Sanchez reaffirmed the agency’s support for implementing the RSAS as part of ongoing modernization and regulatory reform initiatives in the agricultural sector.

She emphasized the importance of cooperation and compliance among stakeholders to ensure the successful implementation of the digital platform, which aims to strengthen monitoring systems, promote transparency in transactions, and help curb agricultural economic sabotage.

“I encourage all participants to actively engage in the orientation and maximize the use of the RSAS Digital Platform in support of a more efficient and accountable to***co industry regulatory system,” Sanchez said. (MRP)