Real estate group welcomes Pagdanganan as DAR chief

A nationwide real estate organization has expressed strong support to the recent appointment of Roberto ‘Obet’ Pagdanganan, erstwhile presidential assistant for cooperatives development, as the new secretary of the Department of Agrarian Reform.

Architect Felino A. Palafox Jr. president of the National Real Estate Association (NREA) with 17 chapters nationwide, said that the organization stands four-square behind Secretary Pagdanganan’s advocacy for the creation of a cooperative society not only as a means for the democratization of wealth, but also to boost the economic, social and cultural advancement of ordinary workers and farmers.

Pagdanganan, a regular member of NREA, serve in various capacities, including as trustee and vice chairman, during which stint, he promoted the creation of housing cooperatives, prior to his previous appointment as presidential assistant for cooperatives, and subsequently as chairman of the Cooperative Development Authority.

Also during his NREA stint, Pagdanganan advocated for the pooling of resources of the private sector, national agencies, local government units, non-government organizations, including housing beneficiary associations for the joint undertaking of low-cost housing projects capitalizing on cooperative self-help and multi-sectoral linkages, Palafox cited.

For his part, Jose V. Manalad, NREA chairman, said that Pagdanganan will be able to lend his expertise and long, hands-on experience in cooperatives development for the enpowerment of agrarian reform beneficiaries and communities, towards the fulfillment of President Arroyo’s vision of a strong republic.