Ne’er-do-well PCA Pagadian staff

I am writing this letter to express my disappointment with the Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA) office in Pagadian City, Zamboanga del Sur.

Around 10:30 a.m. of July 9, 2012, I went to the PCA Pagadian office to get a shipment or transport permit for five Sweetwater Coconut seedlings that I intend to give to Secretary Proceso Alcala and Undersecretary Leandro Gazmin, both of the Department of Agriculture.

I sought the permit in compliance with the PCA circular requiring such permit to ensure that seedlings transported from the province are free from pests and diseases.

Sad to say, the ladies in the office told me that the PCA head was on leave. Aggravating the situation, nobody in the office had the sense, initiative, or authority to do things that would have made possible the legitimate issuance of a permit.

Is this how a PCA office is usually run? And to think that the PCA office in Pagadian is quite far and I was just told that I come back. Yet, the people in the office were doing nothing; and they had the gall to tell me to just come back?

In my simple mind, is it not commonsensical to assign or appoint somebody to act as officer in charge when the head of office goes on leave? No wonder our coconut industry is in a mess: Incompetent people are manning important positions, and do not know what to do.

We do not need this kind of people in government service; they’re just wasting taxpayer’s money.

—REY F. QUISUMBING,

coconut farmer,

Pagadian City,

[email protected]