MANILA, Sept. 13 – Malacanang designated Undersecretary Rosalina Bistoyong as Officer-In-Charge (OIC) of the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR), temporarily replacing farmers’ advocate Rafael Mariano whose nomination was rejected by the Commission on Appointments (CA) last September 6.
Bistoyong, a career executive service professional has been in government service for the past 28 years. She has been with DAR as undersecretary from 2010 up to the present.
Upon the instruction of President Rodrigo Duterte, Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea designated Bistoyong to “ensure the effective delivery of public service,” as stated in the Malacanang memorandum.
A staunch supporter
For 28 years, Bistoyong has hands-on experience in supporting the agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARBs) and indigenous peoples (IPs) in elevating their way of life.
As Undersecretary for the Department’s support services office, she has led and orchestrated numerous support services projects. She provides policy directions to CARP implementing agencies in delivering support services to ARBs.
She is credited in implementing support services for former landowners under CARP. “We also should help those landowners who gave up their land for our ARBs,” Bistoyong said.
One of her advocacy is addressing the pressing problems brought by climate change in rural communities. She took steps in strengthening, diversifying and enhancing agrarian reform projects in climate stricken areas.
“We in the department continue to climate-proof our agrarian reform communities (ARCs) to help mitigate the bad effects of climate change. Also to help our farmers adapt to it by identifying the problems they face and creating options so that steps can be taken to solve them,” Bistoyong explained.
Among her outstanding achievements are: the provision of credit to ARBs and small-holder farmers though the Agrarian Production Credit Program (APCP), facilitated the increase in membership of more than 20,000 ARBs to DAR cooperatives, assisted more than 50,000 ARBs in accessing micro-finance services for their agri-business and provided capacity trainings in ARCs and non-ARCs. (DAR)
