By LORD IAN R. GALANO

The Ilocos Agriculture, Aquatic, and Natural Resources Research and Development Consortium (ILAARRDEC) warmly welcomes the new members of the Regional Research and Development Coordinating Council (RRDCC) and various Technical Working Groups (TWGs).

The new members of the RRDCC are the newly appointed Presidents of various Higher Educational Institutions (HEIs) and Directors of the different Research and Development Institutions (RDIs).

Dr. Erwin F. Cadorna, the former Vice President for Research and Extension of the University of Northern Philippines (UNP) was appointed as the new President of the university.         Dr. Cadorna have been consistently engaged in Research Development and Extension (RDE) activities in their university. With his exemplary performance in different RDE activities, he bagged various awards both international, national, and local levels, such as, Outstanding Research Leader of the Philippines Award, awarded by the International Association of Multidisciplinary Research during the World Research Festival (WRF) 2015 held at Centro Hotel, Puerto Princesa, Palawan on May 1-3, 2015, among others. Since then, Dr. Cadorna have been actively involved in various regional activities of the consortium, such as Commodity Reviews, Farms Industry Encounter through Science and Technology Agenda (FIESTA), Cluster Quarterly Meetings, collaborative RDE projects, among others.

Moreover, Dr. Gilbert R. Arce, the former President of UNP was elected by the Board of Trustees of the Ilocos Sur Polytechnic State College (ISPSC) as the 4th College President.      Dr. Arce is not new to the Consortium for he served as the RRDCC member of UNP for eight years. He holds the distinction as the youngest President of the oldest university in the north having been elected at the age of 42.  As member of the RRDCC, he is vigorously supporting the different activities of the consortium that involves partnership and sharing of resources. He is also a recipient of various awards because of his dedicated service both in administrative, research, and extension activities.

Further, the Governing Board of the National Tobacco Administration (NTA) elected former Mayor of Dolores, Abra, Hon. Robert Victor G. Seares Jr as the new administrator of NTA. The Board received the nomination of Seares as Administrator by President Rodrigo Roa Duterte in a letter from the Office of the President dated June 10, 2020. Hon. Seares, Jr. replaced his father Robert L. Seares who died of illness in March this year. Officer-in-Charge Roberto R. Bonoan formally transferred leadership on June 22, 2020 to the young Seares with a ceremonial turnover of agency banner. According to Bonoan, Seares brings years of expertise in leadership and management to NTA, an attached corporation of the Department of Agriculture (DA). As a mayor, Seares turned Dolores, a fifth class municipality, into one of the most progressive towns in the Cordillera Administrative Region, and a consistent DILG Seal of Good Governance Awardee.

Mr. Edel M. Dondonilla, the new Regional Director of the Philippine Fiber Industry Development Authority-Regional Office I (PhilFIDA-RO1) is also a new member of the RRDCC.     Mr. Dondonilla is the former Officer In-Charge Regional Director of PhilFIDA-Regional Office IV. He is active in RDE activities, specially in promoting fiber crops in the different regions. Mr. Dondonilla is also exploring the possibility of reviving sericulture in Ilocos Region. With that, they are currently mass-producing mulberry saplings to be distributed and be planted in different parts of the region. Being the Regional Director of PhilFIDA-RO1, he is very supportive in the research undertakings of PhilFIDA, based at the City of Batac, particularly the operationalization of the Ilocos Cotton Processing Center in Pinili, Ilocos Norte.

Aside from the new members of the RRDCC, the three TWGs have also new members. Joining the Regional Research and Development Group (RRDG) force are: Dr. Edelyn Codorna of UNP; Dr. Larry Santos of Pangasinan State University (PSU); Ms. Marife Alviento of North Luzon Polytechnic State College (NLPSC); Dr. Josephine S. Lambinicio of UCU; Ms. Anielyn Y. Alibuyog of Philippine Rice Research Institute-Batac (PhilRice-Batac); and Mr. Decth-1180 P. Libunao of the Department of Science and Technology-Region I (DOST-R1).

Added members of the Regional Techno Transfer Group (RTTG) are: Dr. Francis Albert Argente of PSU; Dr. Samson C. Nisperos of NLPSC; Mr. Benjie Oboza of Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources-Regional Office I (BFAR-RO1); and Dr. Ismael Gurtiza of DOST-R1.

Meanwhile, the Regional Knowledge Management Group (RKMG) also has new members to include: Dr. Catalina C. Platon of PSU; Ms. Gina Villanueva of ISPSC; Dr. Maribel M. Gagto of NLPSC; Ms. Felisa R. Aurellano of NTA; and Engr. Juanito M. Maloom of PhilRice-Batac.

With the new members of the RRDCC and the three TWGs, the consortium will continue its mandate to coordinate, monitor, and evaluate the implementation of RD&E activities, provide direction for consortium-led programs; and serve as an avenue for resource sharing among R&D agencies for the development of Agriculture, Aquatic, and Natural Resources(AANR) in the region. (ILAARRDEC)