By Manny Piñol
Some may accuse me of over-reacting to the issue of foreign travels but I believe I have to show proof that attending International engagements to represent the interests of our agriculture and fisheries stakeholders is neither easy nor fun.
During the recent negotiations of the World Trade Organization (WTO) in Buenos Aires, Argentina, naughty members of the agriculture delegation took a photo of me taking a nap in a row of chairs while waiting for the next Committee meeting.
The week-long negotiations attended by over 160 countries involved Committee Meetings on Fisheries, Public Stock Holdings, Special Safeguard Mechanisms and others.
As delegates protecting and representing the interests of Filipino farmers and fishermen, we had to make sure that we were present in each conference where issues involving our farmers and fishermen were tackled.
Since Committee Meetings were convened with no definite time, we had to be present in the venue and waited for these events.
The delegation took a function room in the hotel which served as the venue of the WTO MC. The room was where we discussed our issues and strategies and waited.
While waiting for one of those conferences, I decided to line up a row of chairs so I could take a nap and conserve my energy for the next round of negotiations.
The staff actually wanted to get a big laugh by taking the picture of the Secretary of Agriculture sleeping on a row of chairs.
Little did they realize that the naughty prank would actually become a hard evidence that when we travel abroad to attend conferences and negotiations like the recent WTO Ministerial Conference in Buenos Aires, we do not enjoy the trip but we work really hard.
(Photo of me taking a nap in a row of chairs taken by Mayette Tudlas.)
More Stories
Practical Farming: Turn Used Plastic Containers Into Life-Time Laying Nests!
Super Bulb Onion Grown In Alamada, North Cotabato
Kapehan With Pareng Gob