I have to admit that it took sometime before the realization that I had been named by President-elect Rody Duterte as his Agriculture Secretary sank in.
It all happened very quickly.
I actually did not have an appointment with the incoming President like the others but Senator Alan Peter Cayetano who accompanied the delegation from Cavite asked me to join the group in saying "Hi" to PresidenteRody.
The group sat in front of Presidente Rody while I and his trusted executive assistant, Bong Go, were engaged in a conversation.
Just as the group was about to leave, PresidenteRody asked me to join former Congresswoman Andrea "Didi" Domingo in standing beside him.
Then he pointed to Didi Domingo as the incoming Chairperson of PAGCOR or the Philippine Amusements and Gaming Corp.
Suddenly he said: "And meet the new Secretary of Agriculture, former Governor Manny Piñol."
While I did not lobby for the position, I would be lying if I said that I was not happy with the appointment.
Deep inside me, I told myself: "Wow, now I will be able to do what I had long wanted our agriculture officials to do which is to produce more food for the Filipinos and improve the lives of our farmers."
His marching orders were very clear: "Ensure available and affordable food for the Filipinos," and "No Corruption in the DA."
T
he task is gargantuan. It is not going to be easy to produce food for 105-million Filipinos.
I pray to God to give me strength so I would live up to the expectation of the new President and the Filipino people.
There will be sacrifices to be made like leaving my farm again to the care of people who have worked with me for so long and not seeing my chicken and plants everyday.
The thought, however, that I will be able to implement PresidenteRody's vision in agriculture and food security is worth all the sacrifices.
Work starts today with a meeting with the representatives of the United Nations World Food Program.
After this, I will silently move around the country to get the feel of the situation so that on Day One, the Change that Presidente Rody promised with start.
Thank you for the prayers but please say more prayers because the task ahead is daunting and the temptations will be aplenty.
By Manny Piñol
daan pa lagi ko sir we chatted once and i mentioned about you being an agriculture secretary that was when you first posted your vids with the chicken. i would pray that you would be successful on this God given task. one of my suggestion is mechanized farming. i was a small farmer once that is relying only on carabaos for cultivation and i saw it to be time consuming. thanks to my little knowhow on mechanics i was able to put together an old tractor that i was able to use. with it everything seems fast and effecient.it was very valuable to me because with it i can haul water transport product and most of all for land preparation. unfortunately i am here in the US now but still longing to see philippine agriculture flourish.
ReplyDeletewhat are the ways that an ordinary farmer could be able to acquire this implements at an affordable rate or through government support. i hope we could formulate a good idea.
ill pray for your success sir . by the way i am from davao city. thanks
panalangin ko po ang inyong tagumpay sir, sana nga po magkaron ng katuparan ang matagal na rin naming pinapangarap kami po ay taga bicol mahirap po dito ang tubig kami po ay may dating lupang sinasaka at dahil po sa kawalan ng irigasyon o kung meron ito po ay may bayad pero mas kalagian po ay umaasa na lang po kami sa tubig ulan, o kung minamalas malas ka naman bagyo naman ang ulan na dumadating, ibinenta na po namin ang aming lupang sinasaka, pero gayun pa man marami pa rin sa aking mga kamag anak ang maglulupa sana po ay magkaron na po sa amin ng patubig at tubig din na malinis para sa aming pang-araw - araw na konsumo naway magtagumpay po kayo sa inyong mga magagandang plano, mabuhay po at pagpalain po kayo ng ating mahal na Dios.
ReplyDeleteGabayan nawa kayo ng Panginoong Hesus Sec. Pingol..! We will pray for you..! God bless you po..!
ReplyDeleteGabayan nawa kayo ng Panginoong Hesus Sec. Pingol..! We will pray for you..! God bless you po..!
ReplyDeleteGood luck and God may guide you sir, as our ex gov. in n. Cotabato, we're proud of you. Hope farmers in Phil will get the same treatment as any other level in the society. I am a farmer here in Canada and hoping that Filipino farmers can finally enjoy being farmers. They need crop insurance, gov grants, research for improved farming etc.
ReplyDeleteGod bless po sir president, tanong po ako sana po malaman nyo at maipaam no po sana amin ang tunay na starting salary po dto sana Brunei kc pongkalbo@gmail.com ang sahod dto ay hindi tugma sana imprubahan ng sultan nla dto na 520$ ay 350$ lng kc po wala pa sana 13k ang sahod ng mga kasambahay dto buti pa ang middle east ay minimum nila ay 15kto17k dto matigas na 350$x32pesos mostly yang ang palit dto bihira lng ang 33or34.sana po mapaalam po sa laybor at makarating sana aming mga amo ang pagtupad ng aming mga sahod po salamat po ng marami.
ReplyDelete