A TRIBUTE TO THE BRAVE
MEN AND WOMEN OF DA
By Manny Piñol
Secretary of Agriculture
Kidapawan City – Two years and two months into my job as Secretary of Agriculture, I now realized how fortunate I am that in that short period of time I have brought together a group of workers who believe in what I am doing, who contribute their best ideas and efforts and most of all, who take the risks to obey my command.
This thought came to mind today, a day after I brought a team of workers from the Dept. of Agriculture and the PhilRice to what could be a perilous journey to Zamboanga, Tawitawi and Sulu.
I heard no complaint from Assistant Secretary Andrew Villacorta, PhilRice Executive Director Dr. Sailila Abdulla, photographers Alan Jay Jacalan and Lito Degorio, and my staff Diane Faith Garcia and PO3 Fletcherlyn Pido when I asked them to join me in a small plane I borrowed for Presidential Friend Archibald Po for a quick sortie to Tawitawi and Sulu.
The reaction was so unlike that of an official of another agency who turned ashen-faced when I asked him to join me to Patikul, Sulu.
From Tawitawi, we flew to Jolo for a quick visit to the National Food Authority offices and warehouse in Patikul, Sulu to check on the rice supply situation.
Since it was an unannounced visit, no local officials were at the airport to meet us, only a group of employees of the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries of the ARMM.
They fetched us using two multicabs which are over 10 years old without any police or military escorts normally provided to visit Cabinet officials.
It was only when we were leaving Patikul town when the DA team (except for Dr. Abdulla who was assigned in Tawitawi before as a rice technician) was told that they had been to the area where several days ago, the Abu Sayyaf engaged the military in a bloody gunbattle with several fatalities.
“Pasensya na hindi ko sinabi sa inyo na sa Patikul ang punta natin kasi baka matakot kayo,” I told the members of the team and they only gave me a smile.
I felt proud as their leader that they showed no fear even when told that they have been to a place where no other government official from Manila would have dared to go.
They are not the only DA workers who have shown me exemplary dedication.
Many others were sent to distant places in the middle of the night, crossing seas at the height of the typhoons for assignments that I gave them.
One of them, Undersecretary Fred Serrano, in fact, yielded to my appeal to stay on and postpone his retirement because I need his expertise in policy and planning.
I decided to write this tribute to them because I would like to thank them for working with dedication like true government servants should.
Many of these people will outserve me in the Department of Agriculture because they are career officials.
But when I retire from government service along with the President in 2022, or perhaps earlier, I will treasure the memories of having worked with some of the most dedicated employees of government.
Mabuhay ang mga kawani ng Department of Agriculture at ang mga kasama nitong mga ahensya at salamat sa inyong sakripisyo.
(Photos of our multi-cab ride and the old multi-cab we used yesterday were taken by Alan Jay Jacalan and Diane Faith Garcia in Patikul, Sulu yesterday.)
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