P-Noy revamps NIA; 15 top officials relieved

CABANATUAN CITY ,Philippines  — Fifteen top officials of the National Irrigation Administration (NIA), including the deputy administrator, were relieved after President Aquino ordered a revamp of the agency.

The revamp affected three officials from the NIA central office, eight regional managers, one operations manager and a project manager.

NIA Administrator Antonio Nangel said that the reorganization is intended to effectively implement the rice self-sufficiency program (RSSP) and the food self-sufficiency program (FSSR) of the Aquino administration.

He said the reshuffle of NIA personnel is also aimed to accomplish the mission, vision and objectives of the NIA as spelled out by President Aquino and Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala.

NIA accomplished only 25 percent of its target of irrigating 30,958 hectares while spending over 60 percent of its P14.88 billion budget.

Relieved in the NIA central office through Board of Directors Resolution 7708-11 were deputy administrator for engineering and operations Democratico Grana Jr., internal audit services department manager Robert Suguitan, operations department manager Gregorio Dumandan and Region 7 engineering and operations division manager Dexter Patrocinio.

Grana was designated as overall chief of the project inspectorate and advisory group. He was replaced by Suguitan whose post was taken over by Dumandan who in turn was succeeded by Patrocinio.

Also replaced were regional managers John Celeste (Region 1), Manuel Collado (Region 3), Efren Roqueza (Region 4-A), Modesto Membreve (Region 7), Alberto Lacuaren (Region 9), Julius Maquiling (Region 10), Felix Razo (Region 11) and Alejandro Aberca (Region 13); operations managers Mariano Dancel and Reynaldo Puno and project manager Reinerio Irinco.

Celeste was designated RSSP manager for northern Luzon and was replaced by Collado whose post was taken over by Puno.

Puno’s post as operations manager of the Upper Pampanga River Integrated Irrigation Systems, the operator of the Pantabangan Dam, was taken over by division manager Josephine Salazar.

Roqueza was named RSSP area manager for Visayas and was replaced by Romeo Anonuevo.

Membreve took the place of Aberca who replaced Lacuaren. Diosdado Rosales replaced Membreve. Maquiling swapped posts with Razo.

Dancel, operations manager of the Magat River Integrated Irrigation Systems, the second largest irrigation system, was reassigned as RSSP area manager for southern Luzon and was replaced by Helsy Bermudez, division manager of Region 1.

Irinco, project manager of the Help for Catubig Agricultural Advancement Project, was named RSSP staff under the Office of the Administrator, replaced by Amadeo Montejo.

Prior to the revamp, the President was dismayed that only 25 percent of the targeted 30,958 hectares was accomplished as of June 30, 2011.