MANILA, Philippines — Learning never stops for Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel “Manny” Piñol as he obtained his Doctorate degree in Rural Development on Saturday.
In his Facebook post, the secretary of the Department of Agriculture (DA) was proud to don his graduation cap and gown as he joined other graduates of the University of Southern Mindanao on their graduation.
“This is the day!” he excitedly expressed in a Facebook post.
“I woke up at 2:30 a.m. today to be in the campus of my Alma Mater, the University of Southern Mindanao at 4 a.m. for the big event of my life,” he added.
Piñol said that he joins 14 others who will be conferred the Doctoral Degree in four fields, namely Rural Development, Agricultural Sciences, Extension Services and Education.
He added that his dissertation was on easy access credit and its impact on agricultural productivity and rural poverty.
The proud graduate beamed: “Finally, the dream is realized and I thank those who supported me in this quest for greater knowledge.”
“Most of all, I thank the poor Filipino farmers and fisherfolk whose struggles and hardships inspired me to think of ways to lift them out of poverty,” he added. (Editor: Jonathan P. Vicente)