Agriculture Secretary Francisco P. Tiu Laurel, Jr. continues to strengthen his team at the Department of Agriculture, designating a new undersecretary and several officers-in-charge.
Appointed Undersecretary for policy, planning and regulation is lawyer Asis Perez, former director of the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources.
Also a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, Perez is the former in-country representative of the US Department of Interior International Assistance Program and former convenor and executive director of Tanggol Kalikasan and co-convenor of the food advocacy group, Tugon Kabuhayan.
In his new role, Perez shall provide policy and regulatory advice to Secretary Laurel as well as policy, planning and project development support to various DA offices, bureaus and agencies.
Named officer-in-charge, director, Internal Audit Services is lawyer Joan Jagonos-Oliva in view of the designation of lawyer Christopher Banas as officer-in-charge, executive director of DA-Regional Field Office IV.
Jagonos-Oliva is internal auditor V and chief, operations audit division of the IAS.
Director IV Milo delos Reyes was appointed deputy project director for Project Support Office-Luzon B of the Philippine Rural Development Project. The PRDP is a six-year national project under DA that seeks to establish a modern, value chain-oriented and climate-resilient agriculture and fisheries sector undertaken in partnership with the local government units and the private sector. Projects under this program include infrastructure, facilities, technology and information to help farmers and fisherfolk increase their incomes. Delos Reyes was also designated as program director of the National Corn Program.
Director IV U.-Nichols Manalo was designated officer-in-charge of the Office of Assistant Secretary for Operations, and OIC of the Office of National Project Director of the PRDP.
Assistant Secretary for Regulation, lawyer Paz Benavides II, was designated vice-chair of Agricultural Competitiveness Enhancement Fund Program Management Committee to replace lawyer Jane Bacayo, who has retired.
Supervising agriculturist Lorna Belinda Calda was named officer-in-charge of the Office of the Director of Field Operations Services. Calda will hold the position concurrently with her role as OIC Chief of Field Programs Operational Planning Division of the FOS.
Accountant III Nelson Vagilidad was appointed Chief of the Accounting Section, Administrative and Finance Division of the Bureau of Agricultural and Fisheries Engineering. He replaces Kenneth Laguatan, who resigned as Accountant III of BAFE.
Supervising Science Research Specialist Mark Matubang was appointed Data Protection Officer of the DA’s Bureau of Agricultural and Fisheries Standards. Among his responsibilities is to monitor the Personal Information Controller’s or Personal Information Processor’s compliance with the Data Privacy Act and its Implementing Rules and Regulations, and collecting information to identify the processing, operations, activities, measures, projects, programs and systems of the PIC or PIP.
