PhilMech official denies favoritism

The Philippine Center for Postharvest Development and Mechanization (PhilMech) Director IV Dr. Dionisio G. Alvindia has defended the designation of eight PhilMech personnel to higher posts, saying the designation of these officials was aimed to advance the delivery of services by PhilMech to its stakeholders.

Dr. Alvindia said the new designated officials are highly qualified and competent to the positions of Deputy Director and Division chiefs, since all of them were PhilMech employees and holding better qualifications and educational attainment.

This is contrary to allegations they were outsiders and non-PhilMech personnel that lack experience in the field of agriculture.

He said the eight PhilMech officials who were replaced from their posts have pending administrative cases at PhilMech that may deliberately cause the delay in the implementation of projects that were supposed to benefit millions of Filipino farmers in the country.

“Four of the replaced PhilMech officers were linked to the tractor case, and are now under preventive suspension to avoid them from interfering in the ongoing investigation against them,” Alvindia said.

He said the four other affected PhilMech officials were likewise under probe for allegedly delaying the process in the implementation of various projects being undertaken by the agency.

The director also noted that two of the eight PhilMech officials being replaced have applied for the positions of Director IV and Director III of the center.

Alvindia claimed that the designation of new personnel was part of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr’s. program to rid the government of corrupt, incompetent, and negligent personnel under his administration.

He said the suspension of eight PhilMech officials was able to speed up in the implementation of the PhilMech Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (RCEF) mechanization program and the Coconut Industry Development Fund (Coco levy).

Alvindia, who assumed office last March 2022, asserted that laws will be strictly followed in the procurement of machineries and equipment under the RCEF mechanization program and Coco levy fund, and vowed to cleanse the agency of corrupt and incompetent personnel.

The PHilMech Director assured the government of the agency’s faithful adherence to the ideals and vision of the RCEF-Mechanization Program and to the requisite norms of honesty and integrity in the conduct of its transactions under the programs and projects of the agency.