DA Sec. Piñol graduates with a PhD in Rural Development

Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel "Manny" Piñol was among the graduates attending the commencement exercises at the University of Southern Mindanao in Kabacan, North Cotabato on Saturday morning after he finished his doctoral degree in rural development.

"Gra-graduate po ako ng doctoral degree," Piñol told Dobol B sa News TV in an interview.

"Hindi naman dapat tumigil sa pag-aaral. Wala namang, nobody has the monopoly of  bright ideas. We should continue learning," he added.

In a Facebook post, the Agriculture secretary shared that he woke up at 2:30 a.m. on Saturday to be at USM at 4 a.m. "for the big event of my life."

"This is the day! 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 wrote.

"Today, I will join 14 others who will be conferred the Doctoral Degree in four fields - Rural Development, Agricultural Sciences, Extension Services and Education. I am the lone candidate for PhD in Rural Development, a degree I started working on 10 years ago," Piñol added.

He said his dissertation was about easy access credit and its impact on agricultural productivity and rural poverty.

"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. Thank God for the blessings!" Piñol said.

—KG, GMA News