Preamble
WHEREAS, tobacco is one of the pillars of the Philippine economy, contributing to the government about P800-900 Million annually of revenue derived from specific taxes, licenses and inspection fees; WHEREAS, the revenue from export of tobacco and tobacco products has contributed largely to the export income of the country and there is a big potential of maximizing this contribution because of increasing world demand for tobacco products; WHEREAS, tobacco has been successfully grown and is a major crop of the Ilocos provinces and Cagayan Valley and at present is the main source of livelihood of about 6 million people aside from another 21 million in related enterprises that depend on the tobacco industry; WHEREAS, the production of good quality tobacco leaf is the key to the maintenance and expansion of the local and export markets; WHEREAS, the country must organize a comprehensive and integrated tobacco program to develop high yielding varieties and improved cultural management, postharvest handling and processing practices so that the country can produce quality tobacco at a cost that is competitive in the world market; WHEREAS, the foregoing considerations require the services of highly competent, full-time teams of agricultural scientists, amply supported with facilities, funds, staff and working conditions conducive to the development of improved varieties and production, processing, classification, grading and marketing techniques in the shortest time possible; WHEREAS, the Philippine Council for Agriculture and Resources Research (PCARR) has recommended the establishment of a National Tobacco Research Center at the Mariano Marcos Memorial College of Science and Technology (MMMCST) with Cagayan Valley Institute of Technology (CVIT) as research station and other testing stations as necessary; NOW, THEREFORE, I, FERDINAND E. MARCOS, President of the Republic of the Philippines, by virtue of the powers in me vested by the Constitution do hereby decree and order the following: