Agriculture Undersecretary Evelyn Laviña discusses the challenges of the Philippines’ local rubber industry with members of the Malaysian Rubber Export Promotion Council (MREPC) and the Malaysian Rubber Board who visited the Department of Agriculture on July 18, 2017. During the discussion Laviña stressed that land conversion has affected the development of the industry, which has served as main livelihood for thousands of farmers specifically in the Mindanao regions. Kiew, who assured of more participatory actions for the development of the industry, offered to provide seminars and workshops to Philippine rubber growers. He visited with MREPC Deputy Director Yip Lai Yee, MRB’s Head for Corporate Communications’ Mr. Kulwant Kaur and Dr. Zairossani Mohd Nor.