Alcala swears in six agriculture officials

MANILA, Philippines – Agriculture Secretary Proceso J. Alcala swore in yesterday six officials of the Department of Agriculture who were recently appointed by President Aquino.

Of the six, three were re-appointed, namely: Dr. Segfredo Serrano, as Undersecretary for Policy, Planning, Research and Regulation; Joel Rudinas, Undersecretary for Field Operations; and Bernadette Romulo-Puyat, as Undersecretary for Special Concerns.

The other three are new appointees: Antonio Fleta, as Undersecretary for Administration and Finance; Claron Alcan-tara, as Undersecretary and Chief of Staff; and Leandro Gazmin, as Director of the DA Agribusiness and Marketing Assistance Service.

Former Undersecretary Salvador Salacup reverts to his old position as Assistant Secretary but is also designated as the new spokesperson of the DA.

According to Alcala, the officials he swore in yesterday “are the first batch of former DA officials and new appointees who will form part of our new and revitalized DA management team that will pursue the food security program of President Aquino.”

Also appointed to replace Bureau of Plant Industry Director Larry Lacson is Clarito Baron who previously held the post of BPI assistant director.

Previous to his new appointment, Fleta was formerly an undersecretary and executive director of the Coordinating Council for Private Sector Participation, at the Office of the President (April 2000 - March 2001).

An accountant-banker, Fleta finished an advance management program at Wharton School of Business, University of Pennsylvania, USA, in 1994, and advance banking management at the Asian Institute of Management in 1988.

Fleta served as a consultant at Equitable PCI Bank, and president of Far East Savings Bank.

Alcantara has worked at the Presidential Management Staff since President Corazon Aquino’s time, and thereafter as chief of staff of Alcala, during his term at the House of Representatives.

Alcantara finished economics at the University of the Philippines (UP) in 1987, and Masters in Development Management at the Asian Institute of Management in 1997.

Gazmin, a UP mechanical engineering graduate and an organic farming advocate, has done a joint project with the UPLB-Institute of Plant Breeding on commercial snap hydroponics.