Elmer Rioflorido Esplana

It was a fruitful family time and bonding moments for the Christmas vacations as the whole year rotated all in the busyness of our individual activities, schedules, with individual level of load in our professional and personal lives. Glory to God! Thank you God for all the blessings as well as the different challenges that we have overcome along the different months of the year by your grace and mercy! You are the best and our hero in the details of our lives. You Lord is our Saviour, and Master of our Lives- our Jesus Christ - the Emmanuel! Amen! 🙏 ❤️ 🎄

Group photo of the meeting and visit of Turkish delegation spearheaded by Turkish Ambassador H.E. Niyazi Aykol at the DA Office of the Secretary. The DA delegation was headed DA Undersecretary for Livestock, Dr. Constante Palabrica with BAI Director, Dr. Christian Daquigan; NMIS Director, Dr. Robert Umali and myself from SAAD Program, Deputy Director Elmer Esplana; Engr. Meljun Florece, also from SAAD; Ms. Alyssa Sahali Tan from Policy Research Service-International Affairs Division, and Bureau of Plant Industry. Usec Zamzamin Ampatuan of the Mindanao BARMM Concerns was also present in the meeting and others delegates for both the Philippine DA and Turkish Embassy. The meeting was focused on food security and opening new markets for high-value Philippine exports and the potential of additional assistance to SAAD beneficiaries in the Philippines from the Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TIKA).