11 NIA execs removed in top-level reshuffle under Padernal

CABANATUAN CITY, Nueva Ecija–Eleven top officials of the National Irrigation Administration, including an assistant administrator and the chief of the Upper Pampanga River Integrated Irrigation Systems who has just been adjudged outstanding  manager, have been replaced in the first agency revamp under the month-old administration of Florencio F. Padernal.

          In NIA Board Resolution 8084, relieved from their posts were assistant administrator Julius S. Maquiling, UPRIIS operations manager Josephine Salazar, and regional managers Reynaldo Puno, John N. Celeste, Vicente R. Vicmudo, Efren S. Roqueza, William P. Ragodon, Mario H. Sande, Alejandro L. Alberca, department manager Florentino R. David and division manager Guillermo C. Mercado.

          The resolution reassigning them was adopted during the agency’s 896^th regular board meeting last August 9.

          The same resolution saw the retention of eight other NIA officials namely regional managers John L. Socalo of the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR), Antonio C. Lara (Region 2), Gerardo P. Corsiga (Region 6), Romeo G. Quiza (Region 8), Diosdado A. Rosales (Region 9), Ali S. Satol (Region 12), Encarnacion S. Soriano (Region 13) and Mariano G. Dancel, department manager of the Magat River Integrated Irrigation Systems (MARIIS).

The NIA Board is composed of presidential adviser on food security and agriculture modernization, Sec. Francis N. Pangilinan as chairman, Padernal as vice chairman and Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Secretary Rogelio L. Singson, National Economic and Development Authority director-general Arsenio M. Balisacan, National Power Corp. president Gladys Cruz-Sta. Rita and private sector representative Ismael D. Tabije as members.

          Padernal assumed the post of administrator from Claro V. Maranan early last month.

          Maquiling was designated regional manager of Region 10 while Salazar was named regional manager of Region 3, swapping post with Puno, who she replaced in 2011.

          Celeste was transferred from Region 11 to Region 1, replacing Vicmudo who was reassigned to Region 5. Celeste was replaced by Alberca who was relieved from Region 7 by Sande, formerly with the office of the administrator.   

Vicmudo, barely five months in his post, replaced Ragodon who was named manager of Region 4-A vice Roqueza who went to Region 4-B.

          David, formerly the department manager of the internal audit services (IAS), was named manager of the NIA central office’s operations department. He was replaced by Mercado, one of his men in the IAS. 

          Salazar’s relief came barely six weeks after the NIA’s Personnel Reward And Incentives System Evaluation (PRAISE) committee handed her the best operations manager award for her “exemplary leadership and good governance of UPRIIS which contributed significantly to NIA’s corporate viability and more importantly to the food security program of the government.”

UPRIIS, the operator of the World Bank-funded Pantabangan Dam, posted an irrigation service fee (ISF) collection of P297.9 million in 2013, up from P280.196 million in 2012. 

          A holder of a masteral degree in regional development at the University of Queensland, Australia in 2004, Salazar is on record as the youngest and first-ever female operations manager to head a NIS administratively supervised by the male-dominated NIA in its 51-year history.

UPRIIS is the country’s largest national irrigation system (NIS). It irrigates 102,000 hectares of agricultural lands in Central Luzon,  which also hosts the third largest NIS – the Angat Maasim River Irrigation System that runs and operates the Bustos Dam in Bulacan. (Manny Galvez)