KIDAPAWAN CITY – Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel “Manny” Piñol yesterday was officially conferred a doctorate in Rural Development at the main campus of the University in Southern Mindanao (USM) in Kabacan, North Cotabato.
“I woke up at 2:30 a.m. today to be in the campus of my Alma Mater (USM) at 4 a.m. for the big event of my life,” Secretary Piñol said in his Facebook post.
Officials of the USM Graduate School conferred Piñol and 13 other batchmates that completed doctorates 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,” the former journalist-turned-public servant-cum-politician said.
Piñol finished his doctorate study with a dissertation on “Easy Access Credit and Its Impact on Agricultural Productivity and Rural Poverty,” which he successfully defended in a formal presentation last month.
“Finally, the dream is realized and I thank those who supported me in this quest for greater knowledge,” he said.
He thanked especially the “poor Filipino farmers and fisherfolk whose struggles and hardships inspired me to think of ways to lift them out of poverty” in conjunction with the preparation of his dissertation. (Ali Macabalang)