“I am proud of all of you. Agriculture may not have grown that much, but its still a job well done.”

This was the heartwarming message of Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel Piñol to the Department of Agriculture (DA) family during the first flag raising ceremony of the year held at the DA grounds in Quezon City on January 7, 2019.

During the ceremony, Piñol reminded everybody to stay passionate and creative in executing the needed services of the clienteles especially the farmers and fisherfolk as they battle the effects brought about by climate change.

“Plan ahead, and focus not only on food production but environmental protection, to ensure that our next generation will enjoy a sustainable and productive agriculture” Piñol reminded everyone.

For his part, Undersecretary for Policy and Planning Segfredo Serrano reminded everyone to use the “not so good” experiences of the past as a lesson on how to improve themselves.

“Take pride of bearing the name of the Department of Agriculture and take care of the position that was given to you,” he said.

Undersecretary for Operations Ariel Cayanan stressed that it is the moral obligation of the DA employees to monitor and assure that the government programs reach its rightful beneficiaries.

Meanwhile, Assistant Secretary for Admin Service and Acting Chief of Staff for the Office of the Secretary Roldan Gorgonio called for the collective prayers of the DA family, to benefit farmers, fishers and other food producers of the country.

“Agriculture is highly dependent on weather. While this is beyond our control, we can ask for divine intervention for help,” he added. ### (Carlos Cezar Baldosa, DA-AFID)