LAGAWE, Ifugao – – Recognizing the “utter importance” of improving the conditions of the agriculture sector in Ifugao province, Governor Pedro Mayam-o hardly hesitated to accept the invitation extended by Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel “Manny” Pinol to join him and the Philippine delegation to the just-concluded 2016 Third Annual Southern California International Trade and Agriculture Summit in Palm Spring, County of Riverside, California in the United States.
“We now face the challenge to attend to the needs of those who plant the nation’s staple food. Our task is to create policies that are truly responsive so that our farmers are able to have better living conditions,” Governor Mayam-o said.
In an exclusive interview with the ZigZag Weekly, Governor Mayam-o motioned that modernizing the province’s farm infrastructure will interconnect farmers with other sectors of society.
“Officials carry on their mission to help farmers by providing subsidies, constructing post-harvest facilities and giving them technical assistance. By these means, they hope to bring to the attention of the government the deplorable conditions of peasants so that the necessary changes could be made,” he stressed.
“Just like the provincial government, the farmers need the support of every sector in Ifugao. That’s why, I’m committed more than ever in ensuring that our collective vision becomes a reality,” he added.
The Philippines was sending a high-level, 11-man delegation to this prestigious gathering. Governor Mayam-o holds the distinction of being the only governor to be a part of the said contingent. How does one make a sound explanation for this apart from the fact that Governor Mayam-o’s record of excellence in public service and invaluable contribution to the development and to the people of Ifugao is hard to dispute. For one, Mayam-o’s brand of governance, which stressed integrity, dedication and hard work, is akin to the leadership style of 63-year-old Secretary Pinol, who served as governor of North Cotabato province from 1998 to 2007.
For the younger generation who may be unaware, Governor Mayam-o has a Bachelor of Science degree in Agriculture from Benguet State University in 1983. He later went to then Baguio Colleges Foundation (now the University of the Cordilleras) for his law degree. Governor Mayam-o, who has the reputation as “man of the masses,” is a lawyer.
“I learned a lot,” Mayam-o said. It bears emphasis that Governor Mayam-o is known for focusing well on matters of great significance for the province while attending conferences or conventions in the Philippines and other countries.
Governor Mayam-o attended other engagements during his America trip.
Armed with the latest know-how on the way of elevating the agriculture sector to greater heights following his U.S. trip, Governor Mayam-o is expected to double his efforts in upgrading the agriculture sector by addressing its problems head-on as a means of ensuring that the impoverished farmer is an indispensable partner of the provincial government.
Without the necessary infrastructure, Ifugao would be unable to take advantage of the benefits of a major rice producing province.
It brings the advantage of understanding the relevance of good governance as it relates to undercutting Ifugao’s high poverty incidence rate and vice-versa.
Equate results-oriented approach to governance, there is now hope for a turn-around in Ifugao’s low agricultural output and backward farming methods, Governor Mayam-o, who now tackles Ifugao’s most difficult job, is a viable role model for aspiring and young leaders. **By Anthony A. Araos
