‘PCA chief’s performance doomed her’

Evangeline Valbuena was dismissed as Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA) administrator for her failure to "satisfactorily perform her job," Agriculture Secretary Arthur Yap said yesterday.

Speaking at the Kapihan sa Manila Hotel, Yap told reporters Valbuena was replaced not because she opposes the P8.4-billion Agusan Reserve Area Development Project, as she had suggested to the media.

"I think the question of wanting her out should be segregated (from) the issue," he said.

"She does not coordinate with the other attached agencies. I have been receiving comments from sectoral players na pabago-bago ang performance ng PCA (that the PCA’s performance has not been consistent)," Yap said.

He added Valbuena had often failed to carry out his instructions to implement the Department of Agriculture’s programs and projects as approved and laid down by President Arroyo.

"There were also serious policy differences, repeated requests for her to attend meetings which she ignored, complaints raised by agri-industry players," he said.

Yap said he had recommended to Mrs. Arroyo that Valbuena be replaced, but he did not give any specific reason for his request.

"As head of the department, it is my duty to give periodic reports to the President on our performance and compliance with her directives to the agriculture sector under the 10-point economic program," he said.

"We also evaluate and report to her on the people under us using quantifiable, measurable performance factors. There is nothing underhanded or orchestrated in this effort, as Ms. Valbuena has claimed.

"Nor is our recommendation related to the controversy over the Agusan project which she herself kicked up," he added.

According to Yap, Valbuena failed to meet with coconut industry stakeholders to discuss the feasibility of a government project in Agusan del Norte, and instead chose to flatly reject the proposal without coordinating with industry players.

During the same forum, former PCA administrator Danilo Coronacion, a signatory to the memorandum on understanding to study the Agusan project, said Valbuena twisted the facts to suggest that she had single-handedly thwarted the upcoming Agusan project that would be funded with P8.4 billion from the coconut levy funds.

"It is clear that our mandate is just to study if the project will go through, its scope, and the financing which could also come from foreign grants-in-aid," he said. — Rocel Felix, Evelyn Macairan