Dr. Edwin C. Villar, former Director of the Livestock Research Division (LRD), is appointed as the new Deputy Executive Director for Research and Development (R&D) of the Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic and Natural Resources Research and Development of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST-PCAARRD). Dr. Villar officially took his oath with DOST Secretary Mario G. Montejo at the DOST main office last October 1, 2015 during the Governing Council meeting.
As the Deputy Executive Director for R&D of the Council, Dr. Villar is tasked to provide direction in program planning; formulation and monitoring of the implementation of R&D plans and programs; strategically enhance linkages between R&D and R&D results utilization; administer programming, allocation, and releases of funds of R&D; and uphold the morale, discipline, and the development of a highly motivated and cooperative well-coordinated technical research workforce. Even prior to his appointment to the position, Dr. Villar has been serving as the officer-in-charge of the Office of the Deputy Executive Director for R&D from time to time since 2008.
A native of Tacloban City, Leyte, Dr. Villar started his career at DOST-PCAARRD as a Subject Matter Specialist of LRD in 1977. From then, he moved up the ranks until he obtained the directorship in 2000. As director, he has sustained international and local linkages with the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR), the Food and Fertilizer Technology Center (FFTC), the Philippine Society of Animal Science (PSAS), Federation of Goat and Sheep Producers Association of the Philippines (FGASPAPI), the Philippine Swine Research and Development Foundation Inc. (PSRDFI), the Federation of Pork Producers (PROPORK), and the Bureau of Corrections (BUCOR) through projects, trainings, consultation, industry meetings, and technology transfer.
Under Dr. Villar’s leadership, LRD has institutionalized the Farmers Livestock School for Goat Enterprise Management, a training modality packaged by the division, which targets distant learners such as OFWs and interested entrepreneurs. As of 2013, 478 participants have graduated from the course. The course is currently being administered by the Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Training Institute (DA-ATI).
Dr. Villar served as the country coordinator for several international agency-funded projects such as the ACIAR-PCAARRD Pig Health Project on Improved investigation, diagnosis, and technical support for the control of respiratory diseases of pigs in Philippines and Australia; ACIAR-PCAARRD: Improving the production and competitiveness of Australian and Philippine Pig Production through better health and disease control; ILRI-ADB Crop-Animal Systems Research, and ILRI-ACIAR Sustainable Endoparasite Control for Small Ruminants.
With Dr. Villar’s specialization and experience in animal production, rural sociology and extension, and R&D management, he has garnered several awards such as the 2011 University of the Philippines Los Baños College of Agriculture (UPLB-CA) Distinguished Alumni Award for Livestock Management and Extension, the 2009 Distinguished Fellow in Animal Science, and the Award for Exceptional Performance for the Agricultural Business Research Institute-Philippine-Australia Short-Term Tarining (ABRI-PASTT) Program in Armidale, New South Wales, Australia.
Dr. Villar completed both his Ph.D. in Animal Production/Rural Sociology and his M.S. in Animal Production/Extension in UPLB.