Palace names new heads of agri agencies

MALACAÑANG has announced new appointments to the National Food Authority and the Philippine Coconut Authority—Arthur O. Juan as NFA administrator and Romulo Arancon Jr. as PCA administrator.

The appointments were announced by Francis Pangilinan, the ex-senator who is now presidential assistant for food security and agricultural modernization, as he firmed up control of four of the biggest agricultural agencies.

Juan, a former president of San Miguel Foods, assumed office on Monday. As head of the NFA, he sits as a member of the NFA Council, the same body that elected him administrator.

“(Juan’s) experience and expertise having run a national food conglomerate will be a great help in ensuring that the NFA is managed efficiently and effectively,” Pangilinan said.

According to Pangilinan’s office, Juan has worked in the private sector both here and abroad, focusing on the agro-industrial side for almost 20 years.

This included a stint as president of San Miguel Foods from 2005 to 2009 and of Monterey Foods Corp., food subsidiaries of the giant San Miguel Corp., from 1999 to 2003.

Arancon, a 17-year veteran in the PCA, assumed office yesterday following his election as administrator during a meeting of the PCA governing board.

“Arancon has been with PCA for many years now and he is undeniably fit for the position,” Pangilinan said.

Some of the responsibilities that Arancon held with the PCA included being director of the agency’s Extension Training Center and acting regional director of the PCA in Davao.

Before taking on his new position, Arancon served for about eight years as executive director of the Asian and Pacific Coconut Community, a Jakarta-based intergovernmental body linked to the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (Escap).

Two other agencies—the National Irrigation Administration (NIA) and the Fertilizer and Pesticide Authority (FPA) — have also been placed under Pangilinan’s office.

When Pangilinan’s appointment was announced last month, NFA Administrator Orlan Calayag and PCA Administrator Euclides Forbes promptly submitted their courtesy resignations.

At the time, NIA Administrator Claro V. Maranan said he would not follow suit as resigning was “inappropriate.”

FPA Executive Director Norlito R. Gicana also has not resigned, arguing that his agency operated differently from the NFA, PCA and NIA which are corporate organizations.