NTA Top Management headed by Administrator/CEO Robert Victor G. Seares Jr. and Deputy Administrator for Operations Engr. Cesario G. Sambrana, Director Nestor C. Casela, San Juan, Ilocos Sur Mayor Benjamin V. Sarmiento, department and branch managers, NTA Vigan staff, farmer leader Bernard Vicente, and guests gathered at the Tobacco Farmers Training Center in Bannuar San Juan, Ilocos Sur on March 16 to celebrate the birthday and retirement from government service of NTA Vigan Branch Manager Minerva P. Mizal.
The program highlighted Mizal’s devotion of her life to public service, whose career spanned nearly 44 years in the tobacco industry. She started in May 1978 as an Emergency Research Assistant of the then Philippine Virginia Tobacco Administration and rose from the ranks to become Supervising Science Research Specialist of the Industrial Research Department of NTA, then later Department Manager III of NTA Vigan. She also served as the first Project Manager of NTA AgriPinoy Projects (now renamed NTA Kadiwa ni Anit at Kita) in Narvacan, Ilocos Sur.
Administrator Seares commended Mizal for doing an excellent job, a manifestation of her commitment and hard work. Colleagues and friends, in their messages, also echoed the same sentiment, praising Mizal’s conviction to “fight for what is good for the industry, her intellect and rational thinking, and her passion to serve the farmers” which defined her career.