Agriculture Undersecretary Leocadio Sebastian has been appointed Department of Agriculture (DA) undersecretary for rice industry development.
Sebastian’s appointment was stated in a Feb. 8 memorandum from Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin.
Sebastian resigned from the DA in August 2022 after the Sugar Order No. 4 fiasco, which would have allowed the importation of 300,000 metric tons of sugar.
Marcos did not accept his resignation and he was instead placed under preventive suspension.
The Office of the President cleared him and other sugar officials in December 2022.
As undersecretary for rice development, Sebastian would be allowed to represent President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., the country’s DA secretary, on the Rice Competitiveness Enhance Fund – Program Steering Committee, Philippine Rice Research Institute board of directors, National Food Authority Council, National Irrigation Administration board of trustees, and International Rice Research Institute board of trustees. John Ezekiel J. Hirro