2 Years Ago Today! Our Dreams Will Never Die!

Two years ago, even after submitting a courtesy resignation as Agriculture Secretary to President Rodrigo Duterte, I held four regional consultations nationwide to craft the National Food Security Plan.

It was a plan that would have been based on what each and every town in the country needed or had to offer.

The most enthusiastic response came from the Bangsamoro Region with participants coming from the farthests islands.

One of my greatest regrets is that less than a month after this was held, I had to move on to the Mindanao Development Authority with a puny budget of P180-M because of my irreconciliable policy differences with the Economic Managers.

The Economic Managers accused me incompetence and said that I would be a liability to the administration in the remaining years of the Duterte Presidency.

One of them even said that I was a big talker and dreamer of things which could not be achieved.

When I was informed by Sen. Chtistopher Lawrence Go that the leader of the Economic Team kept on bothering the President to let me go, I decided to submit a resignation letter on June 26.

It took the President 45 days to find my replacement and I moved to MinDA on Aug. 5.

The inputs and outputs of the four Regional Food Security consultations were shelved and never even considered.

A few months ago, as Agriculture and Fisheries faced one crisis after another, a National Food Security Summit was again conducted, this time attended by the big names in Agriculture.

Looking at how things have turned out for Philippine Agriculture, I feel very, very sad but I have no regrets.

The dream of a vibrant Agriculture and Fisheries which would serve as the foundation of the country’s strong and resilient economy will forever burn in my heart.

As MinDA Chairman, I will serve government to craft policies and programs to steer Mindanao to a more progressive future.

I am sure that when I pass away from this world, somebody else, another Farm Boy perhaps, will carry the torch and chase the dream for our farmers and fishermen.

#OurDreamsWillNeverDie!