The LandBank Years...

I started working with the Land Bank of the Philippines (LBP) on February 1, 1979. LandBank then had two sectors, the Commercial Banking and Agrarian Sector. My initial position title was Farm Representative at the Field Operations Group(FOG) in the Agrarian Sector.

A few months later, the title position of Farm Representative was changed to Estate Development Coordinator(EDC).

A Farm Representative/Estate Decelopment Coordinator had to implement the Integrated Estate Development Program(IEDP)in areas that were selected by LandBank in its coverage. There were then an initial 42 LBP Field Offices established in the whole country. An IEDP area consisted of a contiguous farm estates that were covered by the agrarian reform program. The IEDP program aimed to help the farmer-beneficiaries within the area coverage in their economic and social development thru the organization of farmer groups, extension of credit assistance, marketing of their produce, and ultimately help them acquire their lands by full-payment of their land amortizations with the bank.

I reported first at the Head Office of Landbank at Intramuros, Manila. Miguel Eyaya and Eufronio Soriano were among my batchmates in reporting to LBP. The first month was devoted to orientation of our work and the bank in general.

After one month of orientation, our appointment from the civil Service Commision (CSC) was released. We were then fielded for our on - the - job training (OJT). Mike Eyaya, Jun Soriano and me were assigned to the then Cabanatuan Area Office. The Field Operations Manager (FOM) was Efren Montepiedra.

I was assigned to the IEDP area of EDC Rosalino A. Alano in Aliaga, Quezon. Mr. Alano was a town mate from Guimba, Nueva Ecija. He was a year ahead of me in graduating from high school at the Our Lady of the Sacred Heart Academy (OLSHA).

After about a month, I was assigned to handle the Talavera consolidation area to collect land amortizations from the farmer beneficiaries.

It was about this time that the San Isidro Field Office in San Isidro, Nueva Ecija was being constructed. When it was finished I was assigned to be one of the EDCS of the field office.

It was also at this point in time that the IEDP training for EDCs and counterparts from government agencies, DAR, DLGCD, and DA that composed the Estate Management Group (EMG)was held at CEC,at the UPLB in college, Laguna on August -25, 1979.

IEDP training at CEC-UPLB, College, Laguna; August 6-25,1979

Receiving certificate of IEDP training from EVP Dr. Reyes, UPLB...August 25, 1979