Agri Chief honors country’s top ‘Rice Achievers’

Agriculture Secretary Agriculture Secretary Proceso J. Alcala (middle) poses with the governors and agriculture officers of the top 10 provinces chosen as the Agri-Pinoy Rice Achievers for 2012, in fitting ceremonies, March 15, 2013, at the Philippine International Convention Center, in Pasay City. The ‘rice achievers’ were led by Nueva Ecija, Isabela, Pangasinan, Nueva Vizcaya, Bulacan, Kalinga, La Union, Davao del Sur, Compostela Valley and Zamboanga del Sur.

They also included 48 towns and cities, 18 irrigators’ associations (IAs), three small water impounding system farmers’ associations (SWISAs), and more than 460 agricultural extension workers (AEWs). They received a total of P110 million in project grants and cash incentives. Also shown are DA undersecretary Joel Rudinas, assistant secretary and national rice program coordinator Dante Delima, and governors Faustino Dy (Isabela), Amado Espino (Pangasinan), Luisa Cuaresma (Nueva Vizcaya), Jocel Baac (Kalinga), Wilhelmino Sy-Alvarado (Bulacan), Aurelio Umali (Nueva Ecija), Manuel Ortega (La Union), Douglas Cagas (Davao del Sur), Arturo Uy (Compostela Valley), Antonio Ceriles (Zamboanga del Sur), and their respective provincial agriculture officers. (Photo by Katrino Resurreccion, DA Information Service)