Agravante is new Central Luzon labor chief

Wednesday, February 1, 2012

CITY OF SAN FERNANDO -- The Department of Labor and Employment (Dole) Central Luzon office has a new director who will assume the post today, February 1.

Outgoing regional chief Labor Attaché Leopoldo De Jesus, who will be back to another foreign service at the Philippine Overseas Labor Office in Qatar, formally turned over Monday the Dole-Central Luzon leadership and banner to Raymundo Agravante.

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Agravante, who hails from Cebu City, was National Capital Region (NCR) regional director and has served the labor department for 31 years.

A seasoned and dedicated public servant, he is considered the “backbone” of Dole-NCR’s various developmental programs for the urban poor in the last five years.

Greeting the Dole regional staff in vernacular and breaking the ice with his favorite quote from former US President Richard Nixon, Agravante shared: “If you want to play beautiful music, you play the black and white notes together. Not everybody maybe be a good singer, but as long as everyone can sing, I believe that every single voice would bring out his unique and melodious tune, that would act in grandeur in creating a whole new beautiful song.”

“I stand before you to attest to this truthfulness as I place myself ready to harmonize the notes from where I came from to where I am here now. The inevitable resonance of uncertainty has taken its course. I have nothing but humble submission towards the call for action,” he said.

For his part, De Jesus, who was personally chosen by Labor Secretary Rosalinda Dimapilis-Baldoz to serve overseas Filipino workers in Qatar, lauded the Dole-Central Luzon organization for a job well done in the past year.

“Gusto kong magpasalamat sa inyong kooperasyon sa nakalipas na taon. Naging Best Performing Region ang Dole Regional Office 3 dahil sa inyo. I hope that this regional office will again be the Best Performing Region for 2012,” he said.

De Jesus was branded by assistant regional director Geraldine Panlilio as a “true blue public servant” for his proactive approach in work ethics and in fully and effectively implementing the various programs and services of DoLE-3 for the past year.