Quedancor board confirms agri-credit awardees

The Quedan and Rural Credit Guarantee Corp. (Quedancor) governing board, confirmed the selection by the national awards committee for this year’s recipients of the Agri-Credit Achievement Medallion which is conferred to eminent individuals who have landmark contributions in rural finance and agricultural development.

The committee, chaired by Quedancor president and CEO Nelso C. Buenaflor, with executive vice president Federico Espiritu and three senior vice presidents as members, recommended to the board its selection of five individuals to receive the 2004 Agri-Credit Achievement Medallion.

The board approved the following awardees under three categories: for governance – Finance Secretary Juanita Amatong, Bangko Sentral Governor Rafael Buenaventura, and Monetary Board Member Melito Salazar Jr.; for leadership – Rural Bankers Association of the Phils. president Daniel Vidal Arcenas; and for advocacy – Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) Director Arsenio Balisacan.

Chaired by Agriculture Secretary Luis Lorenzo Jr., present during the confirmation of this year’s recipients were Buenaflor and representatives from the Department of Agrarian Reform, Cooperative Development Authority, National Food Authority, League of Governors and sectoral representative for farmers, fisherfolk and rural workers.

Lorenzo said the Medallion is the Filipino nation’s fitting recognition to the excellence and continuing cause for rural development the esteemed awardees have displayed in their profession.

Given every two years, this is the second time the Medallion has been conferred to meritorious individuals. The first batch, awarded in 2001, included Dr. Lucio Tan for entrepreneurship/civic involvement; Dr. Gilberto Llanto for advocacy; LandBank president Margarito Teves for governance; RBAP past president Nicholas Lim.

"With Quedancor as the country’s credit and guarantee company, the government deems it appropriate to pay tribute to the laudable works and envigorating ideas. These distinguished Filipinos have made in underscoring the importance of agricultural credit," Buenaflor said.