DA chief implements major reshuffle as year begins

MANILA, Philippines — Department of Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. reshuffled ranking officials of the DA as he issued various special orders on the first working day of 2024.

Laurel issued Special Order No. 5 appointing Undersecretary Mercedita Sombilla as undersecretary for DA bureaus from her previous position of undersecretary for policy, planning and regulations.

He also issued SO 4, designating Undersecretary Drusila Esther Bayate as undersecretary for policy, planning and regulations, replacing Sombilla.

Bayate previously occupied the position of undersecretary for fisheries.

Laurel appointed Undersecretary Roger Navarro as officer-in-charge of the office of the undersecretary for rice industry development, replacing Leocadio Sebastian.

Laurel issued SO 1 downgrading the position of Sebastian as a member of the Secretary’s Technical Advisory Group.

The DA chief issued SO 3 also appointing Navarro as OIC of various key offices at the department, including the Office of the National Project Director, Philippine Rural Development Project and the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Operations.

Laurel previously appointed Navarro as OIC of the Office of Undersecretary for Operations in December 2023.

Navarro served as special assistant to National Food Authority Administrator Roderico Bioco.

 Navarro also replaced Assistant Secretary Arnel de Mesa as assistant secretary for operations as Laurel appointed De Mesa as the full-time spokesman of the DA.

Laurel issued SO 2 appointing U-Nichols Manalo as National Rice Program director. Manalo is also the OIC-Director of the Field Operations Service and National Corn Program director.

On the other hand, Laurel issued SO 6 appointing Telma Tolentino as undersecretary-designate for finance, replacing Undersecretary Agnes Catherine Miranda.

The ongoing revamp of high officials of the DA came after former agriculture senior undersecretary Domingo Panganiban opted to retire from government service more than a year after he returned to the DA and more than a month after President Marcos appointed Laurel.

Panganiban took his oath on Aug. 12, 2022 and his retirement took effect on Jan. 1. He chose to retire amid the ongoing reorganization at the DA.

Laurel had earlier appointed lawyer Genevieve Velicaria-Guevarra as head of the DA’s Consumer Affairs, previously occupied by former DA assistant secretary Kristine Evangelista.

He also signed Special Order 1360 designating lawyer Alvin John Balagbag as head executive assistant and chief of staff.

Balagbag replaced Agriculture Assistant Secretary Rex Estoperez as chief of staff. Estoperez also opted to retire effective Jan. 1. – Catherine Talavera