Ex-San Miguel president appointed NFA head

NFA chief Orlan Agbin Calayag (Photo from www.thailandriceconvention.com)

MANILA, Philippines – Malacanang on Tuesday announced the appointment of the former president of San Miguel Foods, Inc. (SFMI) as National Food Authority (NFA) administrator.

President Benigno Aquino III appointed Arthur Juan to replace Orlan Calayag as NFA council member and administrator, according to a letter signed by Executive Secretary Paquito Ochoa and dated June 18.

Ochoa said the 68-year old official would serve the unexpired term of Calayag that began on July 1, 2013 and end on June 30, 2014.

Juan was president of San Miguel from 2005 to 2009. He was also president of Monterey Foods Corporation from 1999 to 2003. He graduated from the Philippine Military Academy in 1968.

Also recently appointed was Romulo Arancon Jr. as administrator and chief executive officer of the Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA). Arancon, who replaced Euclides Forbes, will also serve until June 30.

Before being appointed, Arancon was executive director of the Asian and Pacific Coconut Community Jakarta from 2006 to January this year. He also served as center director of the PCA from 2004 to 2006.

Calayag and Forbes resigned last May after former senator Francis Pangilinan was appointed as Presidential Assistant for Food Security and Agricultural Modernization. They said their resignation would allow Pangilinan to have a clean slate.

Aquino’s Executive Order 165 signed last May 5 placed the NFA, the PCA, the National Irrigation Administration and the Fertilizer and Pesticide Authority under Pangilinan’s watch.

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