THE STAUNCH AGRICULTURAL ENGINEER
Engr. Crestituto Catbagan Mangaoang

The third among 13 children of Mateo F. Mangaoang and Anselma N. Catbagan, Engineer Crestituto Catbagan Mangaoang gave the best years of his professional life to the Philippine Society of Agricultural Engineers (PSAE) and the National Food Authority (NFA).

Born San Juan, La Union, on December 9, 1947, Engr. Cris joined the NFA after five years of teaching at the Gregorio Araneta University Foundation (GAUF), which is now De La Salle University. It was at GAUF where Engr. Cris took up and finished his Bachelor of Science in Agricultural Engineering (BSAE), graduating Cum Laude in 1969.

His college life was not easy because of the struggles and problems he encountered like bullying. But Engr. Cris proved them all wrong, supporting himself as a working student and scholar.

While teaching in GAUF, Engr. Cris also worked with Dr. Felix Maramba Sr., an Agricultural Engineer and founder of PSAE. Engineers. He worked with Engr. Maramba for two years in a livestock and poultry farm. Engr. Cris can be credited for creating and inventing the first biogas digester released in the market, which utilized farm waste such as pig manure, poultry manure, agricultural waste, etc. to produce power.

While teaching, he continued his study at the same school taking BS Mechanical Engineering and because of its intelligence, smartness, and perseverance, he was granted a scholarship by South East Asian Treaty Organization (SEATO) in 1969-1970. He grabbed this opportunity and proved himself to not disappoint the SEATO that gave him a financial support to his study. Again, he gained distinction and graduated Cum Laude in 1972.

On December 9, 1973, he married Francisca Madriaga, whom he met while he was still studying. It so happened that their wedding day was also Engr. Cris’ birthday.

Engr. Cris took his board examination on November 21, 1971 and got a rating of 82.46 percent, landing him in the top four.

In 1977, Engr. Cris started to take his Master of Science (MS) in Agricultural Engineering at GAUF. While working harder at NFA, he still managed to cope up in his studies and he never failed to have a good grades. In 1980, he graduated Cum Laude.

Focusing on NFA

After completing his MS, he focused on his duties in NFA and after six years, he was promoted to division head, prompting him to leave his part time job of teaching from Monday to Saturday, 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm.

At NFA, one of Engr. Cris’ biggest achievement is the creation of the Philippine Grain Standardization Program (PGS) as proclaimed by no other than then President Fidel V. Ramos on 1996. This program is under Proclamation No. 1058, declaring National Grain Industry Week be conducted every year from September 20 to 26. 

Another legacy of his at the NFA was in research and development (R&D). He focused on researches on how to improve the Post Production Operations on grains to reduce the post-harvest losses and to improve quality of grains. He and his colleagues also conducted trainings for farmers, millers, retailers, government employees, students and consumer groups.

In his 38 years in NFA, Engr. Cris spent 35 years at the Central Office as director of one of the departments that lead the research of quality control meteorology and laboratory, which focused on grains post-harvest technology for rice, corn and sometimes wheat.

Engr. Cris was also responsible for the program that changed the culture in the agency, resulting in formerly dirty warehouses that are now sanitized and clean. So the NFA can boast up to this day of having the “best managed and maintained warehouses.”

Stint with PSAE

He joined PSAE in 1969, immediately winning “The Most outstanding Pest Control Officer Nationwide” award.

Engr. Cris was also an active PSAE member and was elected director to the organization’s Board of Trustees and in 1989, he was chosen to become president of PSAE by his peers.

During on his term, he created a program proclaiming every April 26 to 28 as Philippine Agricultural Engineering Week, which was backed by Proclamation 399 signed by then President Corazon C. Aquino.  This is one of Engr. Cris’ lasting legacies at PSAE.

Along with celebrating Philippine Agricultural Engineering Week, the said days are also when PSAE holds its annual convention and the international exhibition of agricultural machineries.

At PSAE, Engr. Cris also consistently gained a multiple awards like outstanding researcher and outstanding research manager. Because of those, he was honored as the “Most Outstanding Agricultural Engineer“ which is administered by the Philippine Agricultural Engineering Society. Also, he was awarded the “Most Outstanding Engineer in the Field of Agriculture” among more than 55 associations, which is administered by the Philippine Federation Association (PFA). The award is chosen among all the associations taking and having a board examination handled by the Philippine Regulatory Commission (PRC).

Engr. Cris decided to retire in the NFA in 2012 and focused to help and spread his knowledge to all Agricultural Engineers nationwide. He has since served as national adviser to PSAE and the main assignment given to him by the PSAE president focused on Philippine Agricultural Engineering Standard (PAES), Bureau of Agricultural and Fisheries Standard (BAFS), and Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic and Natural Resources Research and Development- Agricultural Machinery Testing and Evaluation Center (PCAARRD-AMTEC). 

He also stuck to his hobby of teaching and at 70 years old, he travels to different parts of the country to conduct lectures and seminars. He teaches not only to Agricultural Engineers to but other persons who want to learn from him.

Both of Engr. Cris’ parents happen to be farmers, and he experienced working in the fields during his younger days. But that fueled the fire in him to pursue a career and Agricultural Engineering to also help the country’s small farmers. Truly a man of service!

Briñas, RJM, Japones CS, Santos JD, Tobias JPG, Tucit JD