OUTSTANDING PUBLIC SERVANT. Dr. Ester Flores, a genetic scientist of the Department of Agriculture-Philippine Carabao Center, is one of the Civil Service Commission's Pagasa awardees in a virtual event on Monday (Nov. 15, 2021). In her speech, she said farmers benefitting from her projects drive her to work harder. (Photo courtesy of DA-PCC Facebook)
MANILA – A genetic scientist from the Department of Agriculture’s Philippine Carabao Center (DA-PCC) on Monday said the thought of farmers benefitting from her projects drives her to work harder.
Dr. Ester Flores is DA-PCC’s National Genetic Improvement Program coordinator, who earned the rank Scientist I under the Scientific Career System in 2020.
“What’s more encouraging is when you see your efforts pay off. Knowing that farmers are benefiting from our breeding program is priceless and I call that job satisfaction,” Flores said in a virtual ceremony where she and other outstanding government workers were hailed by the Civil Service Commission (CSC), graced by President Rodrigo Duterte in a virtual ceremony.
She received the CSC Pagasa (Hope) Award for her significant contributions and professional expertise in research and development, particularly in animal breeding and genomics, and for being the prime mover of the central animal genetic data management program.
“Job satisfaction is more than money. It’s really looking at your effort to see if your job actually has done something or has impacted the lives of our farmers. If that happens, it is definitely a pat on our backs and that’s it for me,” she said in her speech.
DA-PCC said Flores’ works were used in the establishment and implementation of separate structured breeding program for riverine and swamp buffaloes, development of a suitable genetic evaluation model for estimation of genetic parameters and estimated breeding values (EBVs), and marker-assisted selection.
According to the agency, it paved the way for PCC to become the only livestock agency in the DA that has a well-organized and structured breeding program demonstrated with locally produced riverine buffalo and swamp buffalo bulls with EBVs.
“These initiatives, coupled with genomic selection using high density single nucleotide polymorphism genotyping, ushered in the latest generation of performance- and progeny-tested Philippine dairy buffalo bulls with pedigree-based and genomic breeding values,” the DA-PCC said in a statement.
The CSC’s Pagasa Award is “given to an individual or group of individuals for outstanding contributions that directly benefit more than one department of the government”.
“The awards that you received today only mean progress for our nation. Carry it proudly and use it to inspire and serve more Filipinos,” President Durterte told the awardees.
The awardees will receive a gold medal crafted by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, cash prize, and a plaque signed by President Duterte. (PNA)
