Twenty-four individuals and groups were recognized during the first-ever Philippine Council for Agriculture and Fisheries (PCAF) Gawad Parangal as part of the agency’s 10th-anniversary celebration on June 26, 2023, in Quezon City.

The PCAF Gawad Parangal was created after the Civil Service Commission approved the PCAF Program on Awards and Incentives for Service Excellence (PRAISE) in November 2022. 

The reward and recognition program aims to acknowledge and encourage creativity, innovation, efficiency, integrity and productivity of every employee and group that has greatly contributed to the attainment of PCAF’s operational and organizational productivity. 

“Today, we will recognize our colleagues who consistently performed beyond what we have targeted in 2022 and those who have spent 20, 25, 30 and 40 years in government service. I hope that they will serve as our inspiration as we do our tasks in the coming days and years,” said PRAISE Committee Chairperson and Deputy Executive Director Julieta Opulencia.

The motivational program included recognizing the Loyalty Awardees who have demonstrated their dedication and commitment to the agency and to public service.

The awardees were Francis Asuncion (20 years in service), Sarah Bales (25 years), Cyril Soliaban (30 years), Pedro Dumaraos, Jr. Ph.D. (40 years), Rachel Macaisa (40 years), Carolyn Tabangcura (40 years), and Floreliz Avellana (40 years).

PCAF Gawad Parangal also highlighted the contributions of its retirees for devoting a major part of their lives to rendering service to the government for more than 15 years in their various capacities as employees of PCAF and other government offices.

The appreciation awards were given to Administrative, Financial and Management Division’s (AFMD) Fidelia Andres, who devoted 44 years in service and Partnership Development Division’s (PDD) Juanito Chan, Jr., who served 36 years before retiring.

PCAF also acknowledged Policy Development and Coordination Division’s (PDCD) Engr. Peachie Melendez, who was awarded the Scholastic Incentive Award. The award was given for her initiative to enhance her knowledge and hone her skills by completing her master’s degree in Agricultural Engineering at the Central Luzon State University in Nueva Ecija. 

The Outstanding Division Chief was awarded to AFMD Chief Soliaban during his stint as the Planning, Monitoring and Knowledge Management (PMKMD) Chief, while the Outstanding Section Chief was given to PMKMD-Planning and Programming Section (PPS) Chief Joane Carla Auditor. 

The PRAISE Committee cited Soliaban’s and Auditor’s innovative and creative leadership, excellent service delivery, and commitment to public service while performing their duties and functions as Division and Section Chiefs, respectively.

The Outstanding Technical Staff was awarded to Irish Camela Vallejo of the PMKMD-PPS for exemplifying integrity, dedication through excellent service delivery, and commitment to public service while performing her duties and functions. 

The PCAF Gawad Parangal also recognized the efforts of the Contract of Service (COS) personnel. AFMD-Human Resource Development Section’s Liza Fiesta got the Outstanding COS award for the support staff category while for the Outstanding COS technical staff award, PDCD-Agricultural and Fisheries Mechanization and Infrastructure Support Section’s (AFMISS) Mara Segried Bustos received the recognition.  

The award highlighted Fiesta’s and Bustos’ dedication to performing excellent service with integrity and commitment that greatly contributed to the attainment of PCAF’s goals and objectives as COS. 

For the Outstanding Division and Sections in AFMD, PMKMD, PDCD, and PDD, the agency bestowed the awards to the division and sections which remarkably implemented the programs, projects and activities of PCAF while collectively demonstrating exemplary performance, excellent service delivery and commitment to public service that greatly contributed to the attainment of the agency’s goals and objectives. 

The Outstanding Division was awarded to PDCD, while the Outstanding Sections went to the Cash Section for AFMD, PPS for PMKMD, AFMISS for PDCD, and Capacity Development Section for PDD.

The Outstanding Management Committee was awarded to the Gender and Development Focal Point System, while the Masinop Award was given to AFMD- Management Section.

The Masinop Award highlights the Section’s consistent practice of the principles of 5S or the Sort, Systematize, Sweep/Shine, Standardize, and Sustain/Self-discipline, while upholding the commitment towards a clean, orderly and safe working environment. 

On the other hand, the Executive Director’s Award was given to PMKMD-Knowledge Management Section’s Jezebel Campaniel for her passion for work, innovativeness, dedication and exemplary performance that contributed significantly to the Office of the Executive Director and agency-wide concerns.

As the highlight of the awarding, the Ulirang Kawani Award was given to Deputy Executive Director Opulencia for demonstrating exceptional dedication to public service, exhibiting good moral character and exemplifying integrity while performing her duties that greatly contributed to the agency.  

The Committee emphasized that the Ulirang Kawani was given to employees with no absence or leave filed during the year except for the five-day Mandatory Leave and three-day Special Privilege Leave. 

The employee must also incur only  five or fewer tardiness/undertime, have at least a “very satisfactory” rating during the last two consecutive performance evaluations, timely liquidation of cash advances, and has not received a rating of less than 3.0 or complaint/s from the Customer Satisfaction Survey or Presidential Complaint Center.

Aside from the certificates and plaques, the awardees were given cash prizes based on the agency’s PRAISE guidelines. | JC