“Today, we give birth to our twin objectives: ani at kita (harvest and income),” Department of Agriculture (DA) Secretary William D. Dar announced during the DA turnover ceremony on August 13, 2019 at the Bureau of Soils and Water Management Convention Hall.
Occupying the top DA post for the second time after his brief stint as acting secretary from 1998 to 1999, Secretary Dar thanked President Rodrigo R. Duterte for the opportunity to serve anew.
He urged everyone “to unite behind our President to finding more ways to make smallholder Filipino farmers and fishers more prosperous, with the ultimate goal of doubling their incomes in five years.”
Aiming for inclusive growth and development, he said, “Tulungan natin ang ating mga magsasaka at mangingisda upang makamit nila ang masaganang ani at mataas na kita.” (Let us help our farmers and fisherfolk for them to achieve abundant harvest and high income.)
Secretary Dar, who prefers to be called as servant-leader in agriculture, also put forward eight paradigms that make up the “new thinking” for agriculture, which he introduced as the revised DA vision and mission.
He discussed how modernization, industrialization, promotion of exports, farm consolidation, infrastructure development, roadmap development, higher budget, and legislative support will help translate the department’s vision of a food-secure country with prosperous farmers and fisherfolk.
In addition, the agriculture chief reported accomplishments for his first week in the office including convening the DA top officials, meeting with farmers’ groups, addressing major agriculture issues and concerns, planning new strategies, and pooling additional investment in agriculture.
He also shared the department’s agenda for his first 100 days in service such as the proper implementation of the Rice Trade Liberalization Law, skills enhancement of farmers and fisherfolk, and strengthening partnership with the private sector, among others.
Accepting the challenge
Meeting the challenge of reversing the view that agriculture is the weakest link in the economy, Dar enjoined everyone’s support for the sector to grow at least two percent in July 2020 and three to four percent in 2022.
Former DA Secretary Manny F. Piñol shared his hope that the new secretary will fulfill the dreams that he was not able to realize for the country’s agriculture sector. He also mentioned the commitment he made with the new DA chief.
“We will help one another, so that the dreams and aspirations of our farmers and fisherfolk, and the consumers, who we also serve, would be realized,” Piñol expressed.
Piñol, who will move on to a new task as the chairperson of the Mindanao Development Authority, wished for Dar’s success and promised to continue supporting the DA programs, especially in Mindanao.
Dar congratulated his predecessor “for all the things he has done and for doing the best that he can in the past three years.” He said that the department would continue to build on the gains of previous administrations, strengthen existing programs, and reinvent new ones.
Confident that his successor is competent to perform the task, Piñol stressed, “He cannot fail. We cannot fail. If we fail now, then the future would look bleak for the people of this country.”
Dar encouraged, “Let us all unite to provide graft-free, swift, quality, service to our beloved farmers and fishers, agri-stakeholders, and partners.”
“Join us in nurturing our new offspring… Ani and Kita,” he added. ### (Gumamela Celes Bejarin, DA-AFID)
