BAGUIO CITY – During this year’s first Flag Raising Ceremony of the Cordillera office of the Department of Agriculture, Regional Executive Director, Atty. Jennily M. Dawayan shared an inspiring message, reflecting on the past year and setting a hopeful tone for 2025.
Starting with a powerful message of faith, she quoted Romans 8:28:
“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”
She reminded the staff to continue serving God through their work, emphasizing that, even as we look back on a year of challenges and achievements, there is always a greater purpose behind our efforts.
Reflecting on the year gone by, Dawayan expressed her gratitude for the resilience and support shown by the team, particularly those who stepped up to help staff members facing various hardships.
“Our goal is to be more efficient and effective this year,” the Director said. “We must continue collaborating as one team. No one is an island, whether you’re contracted or permanent, every role matters, and every hand extended is a gift to the work we do.”
Moreover, she also expressed hope for a Fiscal Management Training program, which will help the team better understand the connection between obligation, disbursement, and planning, ensuring all divisions and offices operate more cohesively. “It’s essential that we see our work not just as individual tasks, but as part of a larger internal operation that affects the whole agency,” she explained.
Also, she emphasized the importance of collaboration, particularly among division chiefs, and expressed her commitment to reducing errors and mistakes from the previous year. She highlighted the need for recognition of the team’s positive achievements, thanking the Lord for the blessings received in 2024.
The agency is also working to improve efficiency by streamlining the voucher processing system. Currently, the agency processes around 600 vouchers a month, but she hopes that by rationalizing this task, the time saved can be redirected towards other important deliverables. She also urged the Administrative and Finance Division to keep pace with the processing of vouchers, to avoid having to revert funds again in the future.
Additionally, Regional Technical Director for Operations Danilo P. Daguio and Regional Technical Director for Research and Regulations Arlene M. Sagayo delivered their messages of inspiration in the form of songs. They underscored a key message, the importance of maintaining a positive attitude in the workplace.
They reminded the staff that attitude is one of the most essential qualities for success within any organization. As everyone looks ahead to 2025, they urged everyone to serve with purpose, recognizing that every individual plays an integral role in the achievement of our collective mission. By Leny D. Mendoza
