With the retirement of former OIC-assistant director Digna L. Sandoval, Mr. Joell H. Lales, Chief Agriculturist, is designated as the new OIC-assistant director of the Department of Agriculture-Bureau of Agricultural Research (DA-BAR) through DA Special Order no. 844, series of 2020 signed by Agriculture Secretary William Dar on 16 December 2020.
Asst. dir. Lales shared his vision to further support in elevating the DA-BAR’s research for development (R4D) strategies and programs to be better aligned with the DA’s Food Security and Resiliency Framework and the One DA approach.
“I share the aspirations of the DA-BAR management and the entire organization in elevating R4D to greater heights as primarily pursued by our Agriculture Secretary—to be more responsive and have a more meaningful pursuit towards generating farm and industry-level applications. I will be extending my full assistance to the best that I can in this capacity to our Director and the entire DA-BAR management in taking stewardship of all BAR supported R4D programs, activities, and projects,” said Asst. Dir. Lales.
Prior to his designation, asst. dir. Lales was the chief of the DA-BAR Program Development Division (now Research Program Development Division), for almost a decade, from 2011 to 2020. He also served as the bureau’s Planning Officer from 2006-2010.