Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala has called on officials of the Philippines' National Irrigation Administration (NIA) to comply with the wide-ranging revamp of the agency, saying those who could not accept the order should resign and find employment somewhere else.
Speaking to newsmen at the sidelines of a dialogue with local officials and farmers here Thursday afternoon, Alcala said people in government such as those in NIA should respect the decisions of their superiors, including their prerogative to reassign people.
"When you enter government service, when you are told that you will be assigned in a particular place and you don't want to be transferred, then just put up your own business," he said in Filipino.
Alcala was referring to the top-level NIA revamp implemented by the Department of Agriculture and the NIA Board which he chairs on orders of President Aquino.
The revamp affected three officials from the NIA central office, eight regional managers, two operation managers, and one project manager.
NIA Administrator Antonio Nangel, who accompanied Alcala here, said the reshuffle is meant to vigorously implement the rice self-sufficiency and food self-sufficiency programs of the Aquino administration.
He said the redistribution of NIA personnel is also intended to better achieve the mission, vision and objectives of the NIA as spelled out by Aquino and Alcala.
Aquino ordered the overhaul after NIA accomplished only 25 percent of its target of 30,958 hectares while spending over 60 percent of its ₱14.88-billion budget.
