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| Photo file via Politiko |
President Rodigo Duterte has named William Dollente Dar as
the new Department of Agriculture secretary in replacement of Manny Piñol, as
confirmed by Senator Christopher “Bong” Go on Monday.
Dar has served as Acting Secretary of Agriculture and as
Presidential Adviser on Rural Development from 1998 to 1999, during the administration
of former president Erap Estrada.
Dar earned his bachelor’s degree in agricultural education
and master’s degree in agronomy from the Benguet State University, and taken a
PhD in horticulture from University of the Philippines Los
Baños.
The new Agriculture chief is a native of Santa Maria, Ilocos
Sur and was the first Filipino who served as the director general of the
International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT).
ICRISAT is a well-known international organization that
conducts agricultural research for development in the dry lands of Asia and
sub-Saharan Africa.
Dar is also the founder of the InangLupa Movement, Inc., a
social movement advocating for inclusive, science-based, resilient and
market-oriented Philippine agriculture.
If recalled, Piñol filed his resignation as Agriculture
Secretary in June amid an apparent rift between him and Duterte’s trusted
economic managers.
His resignation came right after receiving backlash over the
way he had dealt with the 22 Filipino fishermen who was abandoned and left
floating in Recto Bank for several hours after their boat sank following a
maritime accident with a Chinese vessel.
It is also an open secret that Piñol and some of the
President’s socio-economic managers do not agree most of the time when it comes
to the government’s agriculture policies and decisions.
Source: Manila Bulletin
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