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Quezon City - With the theme “NIA Para sa Progresibong Pilipinas”, NIA MIMAROPA headed by Acting Regional Manager Ronilio M. Cervantes, Engineering and Operations Division Manager Lowell L. Lozano and Administrative and Finance Division Manager Kirsty Caroline M. Hernandez-Aceron participated in the NIA 60th Anniversary week-long celebration on June 19-23, 2023. The agency conducted various activities like sports competition, parade of colors, opening of Regional Tiangge booths, opening of Milestone Exhibit, singing contest, thanksgiving mass, beauty pageant, cultural dance competition, fun games, honoring the retirees and soon to retire NIA officials, awarding of NIA Program on Awards and Incentives for Service Excellence (PRAISE) and Outstanding Irrigators Associations, Anniversary Ball and Employees’ Night.
The celebration served as a venue for the NIA employees to commemorate the 60 years of demonstrating excellent performance of providing quality service to the farmer clients. The activities also aimed to improve camaraderie with other NIA regional office employees.
During the opening program on June 19, 2023, ceremonial lighting of torch led by NIA Employees Association of the Philippines (NIAEASP) Presidents nationwide headed by Mr. Eduardo G. Yu was conducted followed by taking an oath of sportsmanship of players of NIA Central Office and Field Offices nationwide led by Supervising Property Officer Kerr Sherwin T. Ucang of NIA Central Office. The sports competition was run from June 16-21, 2023 and awarded the winners on June 22, 2023.
Moreover, NIA Senior Deputy Administrator Robert C. Suguitan said in his message during the opening program, “This anniversary celebration is a reminder of our common mission as public servants – to serve our farmers and our nation. Let us intensify our efforts and be a catalytic agent of change – for our countrymen and for the future of our country’s irrigated agriculture.”
After the messages, the Ribbon-Cutting and Opening Ceremony of the NIA Milestone led by Senior Deputy Administrator Suguitan were also conducted.
Part of the event was the NIA Singing Idol competition wherein NIA MIMAROPA Singing Idol 2023 and Occidental Mindoro Irrigators Development Officer Vivian Dimzon was the region’s representative.
Senator Cynthia Villar, Chairperson of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Food, and Agrarian Reform, served as the Guest of Honor and Speaker in the said singing contest. In her message, she shared her vision in the Philippine agriculture and the laws that she has passed to promote agricultural development, to alleviate poverty, and to uplift the lives of the Filipino farmers. She expressed her support to NIA as it continues to serve the farmers with the best irrigation service that they deserve.
On the second day of the program, a thanksgiving mass officiated by Rev. Fr. Jerry Orbos, Presiding Priest of the Diocesan Shrine of Jesus the Divine World and Christ the King Seminary was also conducted on June 20, 2023 at NIA Matikas Multipurpose Hall, NIA Central Office.
Further, one of the highlights of the anniversary is the Ms. EncantaNIA 2023 on June 20, 2023 wherein Ms. NIA MIMAROPA 2016/ Public Relations Officer Ma. Isabel M. Colosa was the region’s candidate in the said beauty pageant.
To build team rapport, fun games were also participated by the NIA employees nationwide wherein the MIMAROPA team hailed as 3rd Runner Up in the Obstacle Race on June 21, 2023.
On the same day, NIA also conducted Cultural Dance Competition wherein Senator Imee R. Marcos, Chairperson of the Senate Committee on Cooperatives serves as the Guest of Honor and Speaker in the said activity.
Further, during the culminating program on June 22, 2023, the Salcedo Irrigators' Service Association (SISA) of Bansud, Oriental Mindoro was hailed as one of the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program-Irrigation Component's (CARP-IC's) Top Performing Irrigators' Associations (IAs) nationwide and received the plaque of recognition and 50,000 pesos cash prize to SISA Officials.
Meanwhile, NIA PRAISE, retirees and soon to retire NIA officials were also awarded and honored respectively, during the said program.
An anniversary ball was also conducted for the NIA employees to get acquainted with each other after the culminating program.
On the last day of the celebration, NIA conducted an employee day wherein Chill Paloma Albasin, Gwyneth Dorado, Marko Rudio and Lyka Estrella were the guest celebrities in the said event.
Delegates from the NIA Central Office and Field Offices nationwide are present during the said activities at NIA Open Grounds, NIA Central Office.