New director at DA 11

He wants to start some housekeeping activities, orchestrate all activities going on in Region 11, and make the most out of the situation.
Newly designated Department of Agriculture officer-in-charge regional executive director (OIC RED) Dr. Carlos B. Mendoza intends to strengthen operations in the region and make them run efficiently by utilizing the present budget wisely.
“I will do my best to continue what former RED Roger Chio was doing for our farmers in our region and we will do more for their benefit,” Mendoza said.
Roger Chio filed for a leave of absence to go on vacation with his family after celebrating his 63rd birthday in August.
He said farmers in region 11 are intelligent and well-organized. “We have a strong and well-off private sector in the region. “What we need to do is to support them through market infrastructure and policy advocacy,” he said.
He said that due to funding constraints, the Department of Agriculture may not be able to give farmers the farm inputs they need to increase production. However, the DA will endeavor to equip them with technology breakthroughs, proper trainings in farm, production, and help them access credits from financial institutions which are within DA’s main program – FIELDS, or Fertilizer, Irrigation, Extension, Loans, Dryers, and Seeds.
“Doc Caloy”, as he is fondly called, was born in Rizal, Nueva Ecija and grew up in the adjacent town of Bongabon, but is presently residing with his family in Zamboanga City.
He graduated from the University of the Philippines College of Veterinary Medicine in 1974 with a degree of Doctor of veterinary Medicine.
Now 59, he had worked in different assignments in the field of agriculture.  He served as provincial veterinarian in 1976, provincial agricultural officer in 1988 and became a project manager of rural infrastructure development projects, an ADB assisted project loan implemented by the DA in the Zamboanga peninsula from 1995 to 2001.
He was designated regional technical director for extension and LGU support and infrastructure in 2001.  He was also designated deputy cluster officer for Mindanao and acted as chief of staff  in the office of the undersecretary for Mindanao operations. 
Doc Caloy is not new in the DA regional field unit XI since he was designated as regional technical director for operations here in 2004.  He was then transferred to Manila central office as head of the Livestock Development Council.
He is married to Gemma Acaylar who is working at the regional office of the National Economic and Development Authority in Region 9.  They are blessed with two children.  EGDeligero/Aggie Media Service