“My OneDA Family, hard work prays for continuity. But these remaining months, however uncertain they seem, can still be guided by science and skill,” Agriculture Secretary William Dar said during the opening of the Department of Agriculture (DA) Management Committee (ManCom) Meeting held on November 23–25, 2021.
The key officials of the DA units nationwide gathered at the Philippine Rice Research Institute to discuss the continuing delivery of services and evaluate the performance of the key strategies under the OneDA Reform Agenda in Transforming Philippine Agriculture.
Secretary Dar challenged the ManCom members to be “clutch players” who must deliver the strategies with the adept combination of speed and precision amid a changing landscape of needs including climate change adaptation, growing global population, and environmental hazards.
“Increasing unpredictability should be the impetus for us to sharpen our methods. I pray we never lose our fervor for the long run, even if we are no longer in the privileged position of leadership,” the agri chief added.
He also emphasized that DA’s science-based approach marks its break from traditionalism evidenced by the many advancements towards fast-paced, empirical, and informed policy formulation and decision-making.
During the three-day activity, there will be discussions on the DA’s financial and physical performance and targets, issues confronting the agriculture sector, operationalizing the four pillars of the OneDA Reform Agenda, and the integrated regional work plans and national work plans.
Secretary Dar congratulated the OneDA Family for the past three years of relentless work and urged them to carry on the legacy for the welfare of the country’s farmers and fisherfolk.
“The OneDA Reform Agenda must be gifted to the next vanguards of the sector. The battle is between us and a relapse into the traditionalism that has bogged down consistent growth in previous years. The old way of doing things just does not cut it anymore,” the secretary said. ### (Gumamela Celes Bejarin, DA-AFID)
