An injustice to honest, dedicated agri officials

NEW AGRICULTURE Secretary Emmanuel Piñol may have all the good intentions when he decided to “purge” some regional executive directors. However, it seems that he stepped out of bounds when he did this without observing due process. By arbitrarily getting rid of career officials who had served the agency with competency and a high sense of honesty and professionalism, he not only sowed fear but also caused demoralization in the rank and file of the Department of Agriculture.

It’s not fair to label the whole department as an agency of corrupt people. Corruption may be prevalent at the national level, but surely this cannot be said of all regional offices, or just any director. Like Director Leo P. Cañeda of Region 8, whose only sin perhaps is his being intelligent and articulate.

Cañeda is a native of Leyte, hence he is very familiar with the culture and values of Eastern Visayas. During the past administration, he was taken out of Region 8 for his alleged involvement in the fertilizer scam. After four years of agonizing court hearings and token assignments at the DA central office, the court eventually dismissed his case and cleared his name. It turned out he was innocent, one of the victims of unscrupulous characters in the central office. In the middle of last year, he was given back his post in Eastern Visayas, apparently to lessen the pain and damage that the injustice had done upon his person.

By any measure, Cañeda’s tenure as Eastern Visayas’ director has been one of the better years for the region. Under his watch, the agriculture sector’s sufficiency level surged to a consistent double-digit figure. Heftier gains particularly in rice, corn and fishery production provided the main impetus for the uptick in the region’s agricultural performance. At one point, Eastern Visayas even  ranked No. 6 among all regions in terms of rice production. Cañeda’s record of accomplishments speaks volumes about the man.

A strong believer in the synergy of collaboration, Cañeda consistently led us in forging partnerships with local government units toward food security. A team leader and a team player, he always brought out the best qualities in his employees. He cared much about giving us, employees, better workplaces, and brought out the best in us. And he boldly and creatively faced challenges, passionately mentoring us into properly pursuing our projects and achieving our objectives. He inspired us to provide honest, dedicated service to our farmers in the best way we could even with the scantiest resources provided us.

On top of this, he possesses excellent communication skills that endear him to colleagues within and outside his workplace. The harmonious working relationships he has cultivated with fellow workers—in his own office and in other agencies and in the Regional Development Council of Eastern Visayas—are a testimony to his likeable character.

—FROY ALBA, tacloban.city2013@yahoo.com