MANILA, Philippines – The National Irrigation Administration (NIA) is the third agency under the Department of Agriculture (DA) to experience a change in leadership since the appointment of Francis Pangilinan as Presidential Assistant for Food Security and Agricultural Modernization.

Florencio Padernal, a civil engineer and chief executive officer of his own construction firm, was elected NIA administrator by the agency’s board of directors, according to a July 7 press release. This follows his appointment into the board by President Benigno Aquino III last July 1.

“We trust the reforms Dr Florencio Padernal will institute in NIA for its projects’ betterment. The agency, under the leadership of Padernal, envisions to extend substantial help to our Filipino farmers especially now that our course is towards farmer empowerment,” said Secretary Pangilinan.

Though Padernal comes straight from the private sector as CEO of Padernal Construction Company Incorporated, he has had more than a decade of experience working for the government.

He worked for 11 years at the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), first as chief civil engineer then as assistant director and project director. From 2002 to 2004, he was chairman of the Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA), an agency under the Office of the President that is in charge of converting former United States military bases into civilian use for new economic opportunities.

Padernal also served as chief technical advisor for the World Bank in 1990, then as a consultant in 1993.

Challenges ahead

He replaces Claro Maranan, who was appointed into the position by Aquino in July 2013. His appointment was to end on June 30, 2014.

Maranan himself was appointed to replace Antonio Nangel, whose appointment Aquino decided not to renew after the agency failed to meet its own 2012 targets. 

The Commission on Audit (COA), in a report released in October 2013, also expressed disappointment in NIA’s low performance from 2009 to 2012.

According to the report, NIA focused on rehabilitating existing irrigation facilities instead of building new ones to cover identified irrigable land.

As of December 2013 data, the latest from NIA, the agency still needs to irrigate more than 1.3 million hectares of land.

The NIA is tasked with developing the country’s water sector for irrigation purposes. It is also mandated to ensure the construction of irrigation facilities and infrastructure.

Department of Agriculture (DA) Secretary Proceso Alcala identified irrigation as a key component to making the country’s agricultural sector competitive with that of other Southeast Asian nations.

Efficient, far-reaching irrigation can also help the country reach rice self-sufficiency by the end of Aquino’s term. The country is now 96% self-sufficient according to the DA.

New heads

Padernal’s appointment comes two weeks after the appointment of new administrators for the National Food Authority (NFA) and the Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA).

The former administrators of the two agencies made courtesy resignations after the appointment of Pangilinan as Presidential Assistant for Food Security and Agricultural Modernization.

The new position created by Aquino for Pangilinan transfers NIA, NFA, PCA and the Fertilizer and Pesticide Authority under the Office of the President. They had previously been under the DA.

Pangilinan has said he was appointed to “clean up” the 4 agencies during a time when the DA was being linked to corruption scandals. Alcala has said the transfer of agencies from his department allows him to focus on production and crop self-sufficiency. – Rappler.com