Farm Boy Makes History! Lone ‘Barong Tagalog’ In Gallery Of Coat and Ties

In the lobby of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (UN-FAO) Headquarters in Rome, there is a gallery of the world’s Agriculture Ministers who were elected as Chairman of the UN-FAO‘s Biennial Session.

All of the Agriculture Ministers in the photos displayed in the gallery wore coat and tie until the 40th Session when the Chairman is shown wearing a Barong Tagalog embroidered with a fist.

The Farm Boy from Mlang, Cotabato Philippines stands out in the gallery as the First and Only Filipino Agriculture Secretary to Preside over the UN-FAO Session since the birth of the organization with 193 countries as members.

Since the Chairmanship selection is by Region, Asia’s turn to field another presiding officer would come only after 10 years.

For the Philippines, that opportunity would not likely happen in 30 years, if ever.

I would be gone from this world by then but I hope and pray that the next photo of a man in Barong Tagalog would be that of another farm boy from the Cordillera or Samar.

These photos, two of which show me with Ambassador Ding Nolasco, and this story are being shared not to brag about this historic achievement but to serve as an inspiration for other farm boys who now plow the fields to be able to go to college.

Remember this: the things we learn in the farm are enough to prepare us for the adventure to the highest mountains in life.

#AdventuresOfTheFarmBoy!

#IdidItYouCanDoIt!

(Photos were taken by Mayette Tudlas.)