Executive Director (RED) effective April 8, 2011.
DA Secretary Proceso J. Alcala on April1, issued Special Orders on reassignment
and designation of DA officials, as part of the department's effort to provide
faster and more efficient technical and support services aimed at attaining rice
sufficiency, food security, increasing farm and fishery productivity and incomes
and providing families with accessible, affordable and nutritious basic
agricultural food items.
Complying to Alcala's order, RED Oscar O. Parawan, who led DA IX for 10 years
and three months, is now reassigned to Region XI based in Davao City. He was
once an Assistant Regional Director here.
Incidentally, Region XI's RED Carlos B. Mendoza and Parawan were only to switch
posts with Parawan in Region IX. The two are contemporaries and friends, since
1967. Mendoza was Region 9's Regional Technical Director in 2001.
Ten years later, Mendoza accepted the key of responsibilities for Region IX last
April 8 in Zamboanga City after he turnedover his' to Parawan on the 7th in
Davao City.
Mendoza and Parawan are both doctors of veterinary medicine from the University
of the Philippines. Both, will turn 61 this year, have served most of their
civil service career with DA IX.
"It is a blessing that we only swap posts," Parawan said during the turnover
ceremony.
"Very fortunate na nagpalitan lang ang kami because these two regions
reciprocate with one to the other because medyo progressive na ang Davao, the
farmers there are on the entrepreneurial capabilities while in Region IX is on
production side. Pwede magshare kami ng experiences," Parawan said.
He then thanked each and every employee of DA IX, saying: "I became a regional
executive director because of Region IX."
The reassignment, according to Parawan, is a job enrichment on the part of
individual, facing new environment, challenges and opportunities and also impart
his previous experience. The bigger picture in it is you are strengthening the
institution (DA) because having enriched regional management that means you are
building up your capacity and capability of the institution, he said.
Moreover, he emphasized that turnover of leadership should be as strong as
possible because DA has a huge promise to the nation - to be sufficient in rice
by 2013 on top of the millennium challenge to reduce poverty level by 18
percent especially in Region IX.
Mendoza, in his acceptance speech, has quoted President Benigno Aquino's moral
governance coined as: "Matuwid na Landas".
"Pagbutihin natin ang ating serbisyo, isipin natin paano mapasaya ang mga
magsasaka… we owe to ourselves what we can give to our clientele," the incoming
RED of Region IX pointed out DA IX employees. (Remai S. Alejado/da9)
