Head Sport to partner with more PHL rubber farmers

Tennis ball manufacturer Head Sport Philippines Inc., said it will source more rubber from local cooperatives as it expands its factory in Mindanao.

“Last year we produced 2,000 tons of rubber, a part of the rubber (was exported) to China to produce the tennis ball in our factory, but that factory is already closing,” Vasyl Goshovsky, factory manager at Head Sport Philippines, told reporters during a media tour in its Davao del Norte factory.

“We’re moving everything from the factory in China, all of the production will be moved here,” he added.

Head Sport Philippines is part of the company’s global manufacturing network, producing sports and athleisure gear for racket sports, among others.

The five-hectare facility in Panabo City is the largest tennis ball production hub in the world.

“The total capacity of the factory is 15 million dozen per year,” Mr. Goshovsky said. “Which is almost half, something around 40-45% of the world production of tennis balls, and this is what we’re producing annually.”

Since starting commercial operations last year, Head Sport Philippines has produced around one million tennis balls.

For this year, Mr. Goshovsky said the company will source most of its rubber from farmers in Davao del Sur, Davao de Oro, Davao del Norte, North Cotabato, and Bukidnon.

“This year we’ll buy 6,000 tons, we’re going to pay them something around P30 million directly to the farmers, which is quite a big amount of money,” he said.

“You can divide 6,000 tons by 1.5, you will have 4,000 plantations… We consider it’s something around 4,000 families producing the rubber,” he added.

98% of the country’s rubber plantations are located in Mindanao, according to the Philippine Rubber Industry Roadmap 2023–2028.

Cotabato was ranked the highest rubber-producing province in the country in 2023 with 110,764 metric tons (MT) of coagulated cup lump produced. Zamboanga Sibugay followed with 108,111 MT, and Basilan with 69,392 MT.

Data from the local statistics agency showed that the country’s agricultural production grew by 2.6% in 2025, the fastest pace in eight years. Rubber production, meanwhile, rose by 7.7% last year.

Market research and consulting firm 6Wresearch noted that the country’s expanding tire and automotive industry could also lead the Philippines Rubber Market size to an estimated compound annual growth rate of 6.7% during the forecast period of 2026-2032.

“The rubber is really good business and I think it’s a big future in the Philippines,” Mr. Goshovsky said.

Head Sport International was founded in 1950 in the United States of America. It currently has factories across 36 countries globally, including the Philippines. — Almira Louise S. Martinez