BIZ BUZZ: DA execs take on new roles
Women’s Month may be over, but two women in agriculture have stepped into new roles to advance the development of the farming sector here and abroad.
Agriculture Assistant Secretary Paz Benavidez II has become the first Filipino to be elected as chair of the United Nations’ Commission on Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (CGRFA) during the 20th session held in Rome.
Benavidez, a lawyer, will serve a two-year term until 2027 as chair of CGRFA, which provides a platform for discussing biological diversity for food and agriculture, focusing on policies for the sustainable use, conservation and equitable sharing of these resources.
Back in Manila, the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research (Searca) also announced the appointment of former Agriculture Undersecretary Mercedita Sombilla as the first woman to lead the nonprofit organization.
Before becoming the 12th Searca director, Sombilla previously served as undersecretary at the National Economic and Development Authority and held key research and advisory positions at the Searca, the International Food Policy Research Institute and the International Rice Research Institute.
In her acceptance speech, Sombilla emphasized “the need to shift from business-as-usual development to transformational development” and forward-looking policies that fast-track modernization, drive innovation, strengthen capacity building and nurture inclusivity in Southeast Asia.
The likes of Benavidez and Sombilla continue put the Philippines on the world map, particularly in the agriculture space.
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