In 2017, the 40th United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) Conference in Rome elected the Philippine Agriculture Secretary as Chairman to preside over the week-long conference.
It was historic for the Philippines as I was the first Filipino Agriculture Secretary elected to that post and it would take another 10 years before another Asian could earn that distinct privilege.
Until today, I still could not believe that a farm boy who plowed the fields using a carabao and who had to work as a hole digger in a rubber plantation to be able to buy decent clothes for school would have that historic honor of presiding a conference attended by all Agriculture Ministers and agriculture experts from around the world.
I am deeply humbled that today in the FAO Headquarters in Rome, my photo is included in the gallery of the select Agriculture Ministers who presided over the FAO Conference.
This is an experience that I will never forget and an honor which I would treasure for the rest of my life.
Two years later, on June 24, 2019, I returned to Rome to turn over the chairmanship to the Agriculture Minister of Uruguay.
A few days after that, on June 26, 2019, faced with mounting pressure from the Economic Managers who were displeased with my pro-farmer position on critical policies, especially the Rice Tariffication Law, I submitted my resignation as Agriculture Secretary.
It took President Duterte 45 days to choose my replacement and on August 5, I moved to the Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA) as Chairman.
Still, I cherish the modest achievements and accomplishments I had as Agriculture Secretary like the record high rice harvest of 19.28-million metric tons in 2017, the institutionalization of a productivity and anti-poverty program called SAAD, the introduction of Solar-Powered Irrigation, the Color-Coded Farmers Guide Map, the institunalization of the Closed Fishing Season all over the country Posting the First Positive Growth in Fisheries after so many decades, Controlling the Bird Flu Outbreak in Central Luzon in just 45 days, the digitalization of the Registry Service of Farmers and Fishermen or RSBSA, the continued field visits and consultations with the stakeholders through the Biyaheng Bukid and most of all running the DA for three years without issues of corruption.
I may have not done much but I am proud to say that I did my best to realize the dreams of a Farm Boy to improve agriculture.
#FarmBoysDreams!
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