Dr. Junel B. Soriano ceremonially took over the leadership of the Department of Agriculture-Bureau of Agricultural Research (DA-BAR) from Dr. Vivencio R. Mamaril during a welcome program for the newly appointed director on 3 November 2021.
“I consider this noble task ahead of me not only as a responsibility but also as a privilege to be working with you all. To me, change in leadership does not mean a change of culture, program, and everything. I rather initiate improvement than change. That’s my direction in terms of leadership,” said Dr. Soriano in his first speech as DA-BAR’s director.
As former professor at the Isabela State University and as a farmer himself, Dr. Soriano found this new opportunity as a means to bring down the theoretical information and knowledge from research and the academe to the farmers and fishers on the ground.
“I am committing myself to really embrace all opportunities and to [work] with you more productively and more efficiently, for our farmers and fisherfolk,” he pledged.
During the program, Dr. Mamaril’s almost one year of service to the bureau was also recognized through the presentation of a certificate and simple token of appreciation.
On behalf of the bureau, DA-BAR assistant director Joell H. Lales said, “[We would like to] express our most profound appreciation to director Choy Mamaril for being so generous and patient to share his insights, knowledge, and experience as a researcher himself.”
Dr. Soriano likewise expressed his gratitude towards Dr. Mamaril for serving as the bureau’s director for the past year.
In his final remarks as the outgoing DA-BAR director, Dr. Mamaril expressed his gratitude and appreciation towards the bureau’s staff for supporting his decisions for the betterment of the organization.
“Hindi lahat nangyayari nang madalian. There is always hardwork behind. And also there is this God’s blessing more than anything else. I consider BAR, I consider all of you, as blessings in my life. I will cherish this not in my mind, not in my memory, but all of these are in my heart. Salamat po!” Dr. Mamaril ended.
Dr. Mamaril served as the director of the bureau from 3 November 2020 to 24 October 2021. Under his leadership, the bureau's organizational structure was streamlined to better serve its clients. He also impressed upon the staff and officials the importance of upholding integrity, accountability, commitment, and professionalism.
He initiated the online book fair, Libreng Libro sa BAR, featuring 143 books on agriculture and fishery research for development technologies. He also strongly pushed for the automation of the bureau’s operational processes as well as the development of information systems of other relevant data that are useful for the stakeholders.
Following the official appointment of Dr. Soriano as the DA-BAR director, Dr. Mamaril returned as the director of the DA-Bureau of Agriculture and Fisheries Standards.