DR. HIROSHI SAITO: JICA Artificial Insemination Expert

DR. HIROSHI SAITO: JICA Artificial Insemination Expert and The Most Outstanding Alumnus for Research (International)

Last September 4, 2006 at around 3:00 P.M., De La Salle Araneta University (DLSAU) received a surprise courtesy call from Dr. Hiroshi Saito, a graduate of Master´s Degree in Animal Breeding at the Gregorio Araneta University Foundation (GAUF) and now DLSAU informing his visit to the university to finally accept his plaque and certificate for being The Most Outstanding Alumnus for Research (International) which was awarded to him last January 2006.

Dr. Saito upon his arrival at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport, was welcomed by our Executive Vice President Dr. Oscar O. Bautista, former President of the Federation of De La Salle Alumni Chapter Association, Incorporated (FODACAI), Dr. Donato S. Gallego, Chairman of the Awards Committee, Dr. Leovigildo A. Manalo, the FODACAI former secretary, Mrs. Gene Mariano, and yours truly, Mrs. Amelita A. Ajoc, Coordinator for Alumni Affairs.

Dr Hiroshi Saito, 58, is one of the long term experts of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) assigned to the Water Buffalo and Cattle Improvement Project since December 2002. His work in the project revolves around the improvement of the reproductive performance of the buffalo and cattle Artificial Insemination (AI), which he said is very important for the improvement of the Philippine Carabao as well as the buffalos at the national gene pool in the Science City of Munoz, Nueva Ecija.

Dr. Saito said that AI is very important for the selection of excellent animals. He said that since he started in December 2002, the conception rate at the national gene pool has improved by five percent through AI while that at the Nueva Ecija Stock Farm (NESF) in General Tinio improved by an average of 10 percent. The conception rate at the NESF even went up to 20 percent for the past year, he added.

He is one expert who has served 21 years in the JICA, having been assigned to the Philippines, Indonesia, Bolivia, and Malawi in Africa and in Sri Lanka. He is probably the only JICA expert in the project who has worked in the Philippines for 12 years. He came to the country in March 1971, just in time to witness Martial Law in the Philippines, as a volunteer. That was a year after graduating with a bachelor´s degree from the Department of Animal Science, Faculty of Agriculture, and Miyazaki University in March 1970.

In his first five years in the JOCV, Saito was assigned to the Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI) where he worked as a generalist on swine, goat, and carabao in Nueva Ecija. After that he was transferred to the National Artificial Breeding Center (NABC) of the BAI in Alabang, Muntinlupa, Rizal where he stayed for another five years.

It is no wonder, therefore, that Saito is fluent in Filipino, the country´s national language. Likewise, he still remembers his professors Dr. Del Fierro and Dr. Medina during his stay in the GAUF year 1980.

After his stint as a JOCV volunteer for 10 years, he served as a JICA long-term expert in Indonesia (June 1986-June1988), Bolivia (September 1992-September 1994), and Malawi (October 1995-October 1997, and April 1999-April 2000). He has also served as a JICA short term expert in Malawi and the Philippines.

Saito has three Master´s Degrees to his name. The first, a Master´s Degree in Tropical Animal Science, was obtained from the Gregorio Araneta University in 1980 when he was still a JOCV Volunteer. He also got a master´s degree in International Agricultural Development from the University of California-Davis, and a master´s degree in animal science from the Washington State University; both in the United States.

He obtained his Doctor of Philosophy last 2003 from Nippon University in Tokyo. His dissertation focused on dairy cattle improvement in tropical and subtropical countries, namely Indonesia, Bolivia, and Malawi, where he worked for a total of seven years.

Aside from his official duties as a JICA long-term expert in the buffalo and cattle improvement project, Saito is also working on Saturdays as a private individual on the development of dairy cattle and goat at the village level in Nueva Ecija.

It was during his stint with the JOCV when Saito got married in Japan, but he brought his wife to stay with him in the Philippines. Thus, his two daughters, who are now studying in Japan, were born at the Makati Medical Center.

Saito, who was born a Catholic, said that Filipinos are God-fearing. He observed that unlike in Japan where the Catholic churches are 20 to 30 percent filled during Sundays, in the Philippine Catholic churches are almost overflowing as people attend the Sunday Mass. He added that it was only in the Philippines where he studied the Bible.

He added that, in general, Filipinos are a warm people.

"If we have money and a business to attend to, we [Japanese] can spend our life in the Philippines," he said.