(Eagle News)–Agricultural Secretary Manny Piñol on Saturday, June 8, graduated with a PhD in rural development at the University of Southern Mindanao.
Piñol, who had been working on getting the degree for ten years, is the sole PhD graduate of the course, and joined several others who were conferred a doctoral degree in other fields – Agricultural Sciences, Extension Services and Education.
Piñol said his dissertation was on 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,” Piñol said in a Facebook post.
“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,” he added.