The Philippine Rubber Testing Center (PRTC) was established through a general agreement between Philippine Council for Agriculture, Forestry and Natural Resources Research and Development (PCARRD) and Centre de Cooperation Internationale en Recherche Agronomique pour le Development (CIRAD) on May 27, 1987. PRTC, with supervision from PICRI is under the umbrella of the office of the VPRDE. While It started its sustainable maintenance and operation as testing laboratory on February 24, 1992, the laboratory had gained its DTI-BPS accreditation on ISO/ IEC Guide 25 for the competence of calibration and testing laboratories on February 17, 1995. The International Rubber Association (IRA) and Malaysian Rubber Board also recognized PRTC as a Regional Test Laboratory for Technically Specified Rubbers (TSR) on November 6, 2000. PRTC laboratory serves as quality testing of dried natural rubber (DNR) products of the Philippines.
PRTC is committed to achieve total customer satisfaction for the testing services on dried natural rubber (DNR) through:
- Establishing good professional practices and providing quality services to customers;
- Maintaining accuracy, precision, and reliability of testing services through maintaining standards;
- Maintaining competence, impartiality and consistent operation of laboratory activities;
- Adoption and maintenance of laboratory management system for laboratory testing activities in accordance with the national and international standards;
- Continually improve laboratory management system through regular assessment, implantation, and review of the processes; and
- Regularly updates personnel competency through continuous professional education in quality management system, international/ national standards, safety/ security in the workplace, and health/ wellness education.
Randy Tumacder
Manager
Deinmark Antes
Research Staff
Joseph D. Andug
Laboratory Technician
Mutan M. Sencil
Laboratory Technician
Rozen G. Pecho
Laboratory Aide
Renz Jazkin P. Agmata
Laboratory Aide
The University of Southern Mindanao has four-fold functions namely: instruction, extension, production and research. Under the research function are the University of Southern Mindanao Agricultural Research & Development Center (USMARDC) and Philippine Industrial Crops Research Institute (PICRI). PICRI was established in 1986 through Presidential Degree 1086. It is mandated to develop research and extension programs to sustain and improve the production of rubber, coffee, ramie, kenaf, spices and other industrial crops.
There are five systems involved in the rubber aspect, namely: production, testing, processing, manufacturing and research. PRTC takes charge of quality testing of dried natural rubber products produced in the Philippines. It is mandated to ascertain the quality measure in processing of dried natural rubber, allow the country to produce high quality natural rubber and contribute to the enhancement of the agro-industrial development of the natural rubber.
The PRTC laboratory accepts samples submitted through personal submission or via courier. Specifically, the minimum requirements are:
- Minimum of 6 samples per laboratory request
- Sample weight requirement
2.1. Complete analysis – 600 grams per sample
2.2. Semi-complete analysis – 300 grams per sample
2.3. Standard requirement – 450 grams per sample if the customer agrees to no further request of other test or re-test.
- Samples can be submitted personally in the laboratory or through courier.
3.1. For personal submission, a representative must complete details of the request form.
3.2. Through courier, customers must communicate in the laboratory before sending samples. Complete details of the request form, together with the sample pieces, must be within the package.
- Samples will be retained for 3 months for re-test and/or other analysis before disposal.
The Center is fully equipped to conduct analysis on the following:
- Dirt content
- Ash content
- Nitrogen content
- Volatile matter
- Plasticity retention index (PRI)
- Mooney Viscosity
Note: Sample requirement: Minimum of six (6) rubber samples with 600 g each sample
Analysis of:
-
- Dried Natural Rubber
- Latex (Dry Rubber Content, Viscosity)
Service Lab: The Center accepts analysis of samples other than rubber.- Grass
- Feeds
- Agri. & waste products
- Food
Analysis for dry natural rubber (DNR) products (i.e. crumb and air-dried rubber sheets).
The PRTC laboratory will reject the submitted sample if the amount and quality of the sample fail to meet the minimum requirement. Specifically, the request for analysis will not proceed if:
- Incorrect sample type
- Insufficient sample or no sample
- Labelling or form issues (mislabeled/ unlabeled/ incomplete details/ no form)
- Packaging issues (no packaging/ mixed samples in one container/ uncommunicated packages)
The PRTC received and analyzed a total of 517 rubber and non-rubber samples in 2021, which was the highest number of samples for the past 5 years. Rubber samples were mainly from 6 processors. Only Individual researchers with non-rubber samples availed the laboratory services.
(1) Annual participation on PT Program for Technically Specified Rubber (TSR) given by Malaysian Rubber Board:
- 125th Series PT Program November 23-24, 2021
- 124th Series PT Program March 16-17, 2021
(2) Interlaboratory testing program for Rubber plasticity and Mooney Viscosity given by DOST-IX Rubber Testing Laboratory. April 13, 2021.
- International Rubber Research and Development Board (IRRDB)
- Centre de Cooperation Internationale de Recherche Agronomique Pour le Development (CIRAD), France
- Malaysian Rubber Board, Malaysia
- Rubber Research Institute of Malaysia (RRIM), Malaysia
- Rubber Research Institute of Thailand (RRIT), Thailand
- Department of Trade and Industry Region XII
- Department of Science and Technology (DOST)
- Philippine Council for Agriculture, Forestry and Natural Resources Research and Development (PCARRD)
- Philippine Rubber Industries Association (PRIA)
- Rubber Processors
- Member for Bureau of Philippine Standards Technical Committee on Rubber and rubber products/Working Group on Natural Raw Rubber Sheets (BPS/TC 16/WG1) AY 2021.
- Training provider on Laboratory operations for the quality analysis of dried natural rubber. August – September 2021.
Among its extension services are:
- The conduct of trainings for lab technicians, students, rubber processors and producers on ISO 2000 methods of analysis of dried NR
- Provision of packaged technologies to assist farmers, producers and processors on issues/problems re: quality of dried NR.
- ASEAN Rubber Testing Laboratories Committee (ARTLC)
- Member for Bureau of Philippine Standards Technical Committee on Rubber and rubber products/Working Group on Natural Raw Rubber Sheets (BPS/TC 16/WG1) AY 2021.
- Training provider on Laboratory operations for the quality analysis of dried natural rubber. August – September 2021.
ASEAN Rubber Testing Laboratories Committee (ARTLC)
Fire Training
Laboratory operations
Team Building
Tree Planting
National Accreditation
Gained DTI-BPS (Bureau of Product Standards) accreditation on ISO/IEC Guide 25 for the competence of calibration and testing laboratories on February 17, 1995.
International Participation
November 6, 2000 PRTC was recognized as an International Rubber Association (IRA) Regional Test Laboratory for the International Contract for Technically Specified Rubbers (TSRs) and participate continuously in the Proficiency Testing (PT) Programme.