Frank's List – A Book Dedicated To A New Vibrant PH Agriculture!

Announcement: My new book out this September. It's free! 

Why am I Giver and not Receiver of a birthday gift? Because it is more blessed to give than to receive. Don't forget karma!

I am dedicating it to the Filipino people, especially advocates of farmers and fishers for their emancipation from poverty and on to leading sustainable lives! (The body is ready; I am writing the Introduction, then go!)

The image above, which I took on my ViewSonic external monitor 28 April 2018, a Windows 10 collage, is a good metaphor for the book, a collection of my essays blogged from 07 April 2019 to 30 August 2019. The book is at least 257 pages 8.5" x 11" trim size. It contains 79 essays, to celebrate my age, thank God! (Clue: A whole town will celebrate that day this September.)

Let me not forget to thank God for the years behind and years ahead – I pray to live to be 120 as He promises in Genesis 6:3 (KJV): "Yet his days shall be an hundred and twenty years."

In the meantime, I celebrate life, love, family. I celebrate not only my birthday, but the birthday, 05 August 2019, of a new and vibrant Philippine Agriculture under Secretary of Agriculture William Dar, who prefers to be called Manong Willie (Ilocano for Big Brother Willie).

Title of the book? Secret!

The public purpose of the book is for me to support the expressed thoughts and observable actions of Manong Willie, who is a poor man's son, graduate of Benguet State University (bachelor and master's degrees) and UP Los Baños (doctoral degree). I am sure he loves this country and his Science will work, based on his 15-year outstanding managerial experience as Director General of ICRISAT based in India.

An Ilocano, he is also an original aboriginal. He is the very first Secretary of Agriculture in the Philippines to ever come out with a written complete package of what needs to be done to emancipate the poor farmers and fishers from poverty, with the active participation of all sectors of society: national and local government units, private sector, non-government organizations, state colleges & universities, cooperatives, and peasant associations. He calls that package the 8 paradigms that are parts of "The New Thinking for Agriculture" under his watch. You know what? The 8 shows that:

The Savior of PH Agriculture will be all of us doing all the work together!

The private purpose of my book is for me to show a real-life, honest-to-goodness proof that creative writing knows no age. I will be 79 in a matter of days as I write these lines. I thank the Lord that even as I grow older, I get to write faster and be happier with the results! I double-thank the Lord that these intellectual efforts are intended to inspire not only writers but journalists and teachers to read and understand more about PH Agriculture and what they can contribute in their modest ways, their own way of thanking God!@517

Complaining – Not Reading The Papers, Just Complaining About PH Agriculture!

Here comes Ernesto M Ordoñez, who I had believed was more broadminded than other columnists, proving that I was wrong – about him. In today's column, he demands: "Defend our rice farmers now!" that interjection supplied (30 August 2019, Inquirer.Net, business.inquirer.net). No defender of rice farmers, none yesterday, none today, none he can see. So he says:

It’s a crisis when majority of our 2.4 million rice farmers are suffering from the low 35-percent tariff under the rice tariffication law. ¶ At that tariff level, Philippine Rice Research Institute vice president Flordelis Bordey says that 53 (or 65 percent) of our rice producing provinces will not survive.

My, my, Mr Ordoñez! Be careful with information. It's Flordeliza, not Flordelis; and Deputy Executive Director of PhilRice, notVice President.

And Mr Ordoñez, are you trying to scare your readers quoting Miss Flordeliza saying that more than 50% of our rice provinces will not survive rice tariffication?!

So, I will listen more to Carmelito Q Francisco who says, "Dar Promises Easier LANDBANK Loan Access For Farmer Sector" (26 August 2019, BusinessWorld, bworldonline.com):

Agriculture Secretary William D Dar has assured farmers that simplified loan access will soon be provided by government-owned Land Bank of the Philippines (Landbank), with the terms of the new lending arrangements now being finalized.

That's Davao City. You have not seen a PH Secretary of Agriculture as busy as a bee! He is all over the country. For publicity? No, urging the public sector, private sector, people to participate in the common mission of leveling up PH Agriculture.

If Mr Ordoñez has been reading the papers, especially on the digital platform, he would be writing the title of his column in words like these:

"We are defending our rice farmers now!"

If you will look at the collage of images above, I have a sharing from William Dar himself, Manong Willie, Secretary of Agriculture. In the text accompanying that Facebook image, Manong Willie says:

The Provincial Government of Ilocos Norte led by Governor Matthew Marcos Manotoc will now be engaged in buying palay this harvest season, dry, mill, and sell rice to the market. Calling on the other 27 top producing rice provinces to do the same!

Just browsing Facebook and you will note that Manong Willie is all over the place, exhorting farmers, local government units and business big & small to help the farmers up to marketing, so that, for instance, the merchants cannot apply their usual depredation techniques. If you do not call that defending the farmers, Mr Ordoñez, you are using a different dictionary!

Here comes another news, from Marilyn Galang, who says, "Agri Chief Enlists Farmers, LGUs, Private Sector In Rice Program" (29 August 2019, PNA, pna.gov.ph). He asked for involvement of farmers, local government units, and private sector in various DA programs. This is in the Science City of Muñoz. So, in the last few days, Manong Willie has been to Davao, Ilocos Norte and Nueva Ecija – No other Secretary of Agriculture in the Philippines has been this peripatetic & participatory!@517

How To Write Your Thesis – Follow My Messy Instructions, Enjoy Yourself!

I just saw UPLB ChemEng Professor Jovita Movillon's Facebook sharing on Thesis Writing from Research Methods and I could not help but react – because I have a much better idea, based on 44 years of editing both technical and popular manuscripts, many of them theses and dissertations. 

Never mind your field or specialty. Realize this: Since you have written your thesis proposal that of course has been approved, you already have half the battle won.

Here are the 8 steps given by Research Methods:

(1)   Decide when to start.

(2)   Decide when to stop.

(3)   Set chapter deadlines.

(4)   Easy targets each day.

(5)   Created (sic) a relaxing environment

(6)   Use your time wisely.

(7)   2 hours then break.

(8)   25 minutes at a time

I say, too many rulesto follow – 7 too many!

Rule #4 should be your only rule: "Easy targets." Don't plan – just do it! Do first the easy things you can think of.

Work on each part of the thesis separately – do not attempt to integrate them after writing each part. That will be easy after you have written all those parts separately.

Of course, the very first thing you should look for when beginning to write the thesis manuscript is: Where is your approved thesis proposal? That's your guide.

I will now give you something to start with: Get your tables and start discussing what you see. Separate tables. Do not attempt to integrate the tables yet, do not relate them yet – just discuss each table. That way, you will feel that you have finished something with every table discussed – that is necessary for the ego.

You know why you should start with tables? Because it is not so difficult to discuss a table.

Never mind if your discussion is not sequential. Just write down what you think. If you want, press Enter after every sentence. Yes, you should be discussing onscreen, not on paper! Because it is easier, unless you are a bad typist.

About the images above: Yes, you should use the personal computer, PC. The original of the main image is from Teriz.yasamayolver.com; I just painterized it to make it more dramatic; "Keep calm" is from xcorr: comp.neuro, google.com. Keep calm, follow my instructions, and just write, I mean type.

Then, when you are done with the tables, try to integrate them into the draft. I emphasize draft because there is nothing final yet – if you worry about writing professionally while writing the draft, you are a bad person, bad to yourself – you are asking too much! Not to mention a bad author. Even I, who has been editing technical papers in the last 44 years, cannot write a perfect draft – you have to read and revise, read and revise.

When you run out of ideas, it is time to send that draft, no matter how bad it looks, to your Authors' Editor. That would be me. An Authors' Editor is supposed to help you write, not only edit. Problem solved! This is your iVirtual Guru speaking.frankahilario@gmail.com@517

The Half Desolation Of PH Agriculture In The Eyes Of Rene E Ofreneo, BusinessMirror

On Facebook, someone shares the link to the column of Rene E Ofreneo in the BusinessMirror (29 August 2019, businessmirror.com.ph). "The Desolation Of PHL Agriculture: Can Secretary Dar Reverse Its Continuing Stagnation?" Using the image of glass from International IDEA above, reading him I can plainly see Mr Ofreneo plainly sees the glass half-empty – and ignores the glass half-full! 

Mr Ofreneo's very first sentence of 12 words summarizes what he has to say in all of his 900-word column: "Indicators of the collapse of Philippine agriculture are not difficult to find." Certainly, if you set your heart to it, you will find the missing who-what-where-when-why-how to prove that the glass is indeed half-empty!

And so, Mr Ofreneo's glass is empty of "The New Thinking for Agriculture" that Secretary of Agriculture William Dar has been talking about even days before he assumed office on 05 August 2019 (see my essay, "William Dar – We Need New Thinking For Agriculture. FAH – I Have Faith!" 01 August 2019, Ani Kitá, ianikita.blogspot.com). Also, Mr Dar has been talking about it in his columns at the Manila Times.

And so, Mr Ofreneo's glass is empty of the "strategy built around eight paradigms that also make up "The 'New Thinking' For Agriculture," in the words of Mr Dar. The paradigms are Mr Dar's framework for his use as the new Team Captain of PH Agriculture in a series of inclusive development games. These paradigms are (as simplified in my essay, "William Dar Is Agriculture Secretary & DA Is All Over The Place – So Is Science!" 07 August 2019, Ani Kitá, ianikita.blogspot.com):

(1)   Modernization of agriculture
(2)   Industrialization of agriculture
(3)   Promotion of exports
(4)   Farm consolidation
(5)   Roadmap development
(6)   Infrastructure development
(7)   Higher budget and investments for agriculture, and
(8)   Legislative support.

And so, Mr Ofreneo's glass is empty of how to modernize PH Agriculture, industrialize agriculture, promote exports, consolidate farms, what roadmaps to develop, what infrastructure are needed, what constitutes higher budgets from government and higher investments from the private sector, and what constitutes legislative support.

On the other hand, Mr Ofreneo's glass is half-full of mentions of these:

Official statistics indicate growing agricultural trade deficits, declining GDP share, and grinding rural poverty everywhere. Most worrisome, there are reports in various regions that there is an acute shortage of agricultural workers because majority of the millennials and those belonging to the younger generation Z have been avoiding farm work like a plague. The Philippine farming population is aging and fading away.

And so Mr Ofreneo's glass is half-empty of "How will the newly-appointed DA Secretary William Dar handle this challenge? Will he end up like Secretary Manny (Piñol), who waged a losing fight against the economic technocrats who pushed for the all-out liberalization of the rice sector without any clear transition program for the domestic palay producers?"

Mr Ofreneo, now watch me as I toast to us all a glassful of sweet fresh coconut juice to the bright future of PH Agriculture!@517

Climate Change Is Real, William Dar Says, But We Are Not Being Realistic!

In today's column ("The 'New Thinking' And Dealing With Climate Change, 1st of 2 Parts" (29 August 2019, Manila Times, manilatimes.net), William Dar, new Secretary of Agriculture, is waking us up to the need for the public and private sectors to help PH farmers not only survive but thrive amidst climate change. (Above, main image from North Carolina Biotechnology Center, ncbiotech.org; William Dar image from Music Jinni, musicjinni.co)

So, Mr Dar is saying there is the need for the Department of Agriculture, DA, to change PH Agriculture for the better for the DA's clientele of farmers and fishers. Considering:

(1)   Export opportunities

Threats: Farm and food imports are coming into the country.

Opportunities: Imports show counter-intuitively that "There are many export markets that could be supplied with agricultural-based products from the Philippines."

(2)   Assistance to farmers

Vietnam: Assisting rice farmers adjusting planting schedules anticipating drought.

Philippines: DA must be "pro-active in dealing with the effects of… El Niño and La Niña."

(3)   Crop insurance

Crop insurance beforeclimate change: If the farmer thinks he needs it, he will apply.
vs
Crop insurance during climate change: The farmer needs it; help him apply for it!

(4)   Resilience

Very affected farmers and fishers: "We could put in place measures to make them recover and eventually become resilient."

Hardly affected farmers and fishers: "We (could) make them more resilient so they could serve as models and knowledge generators on how to deal more effectively with the effects of climate change."

(5)   Local government units (LGUs)

Mr Dar says that last Tuesday, the DA turned over rice, corn and vegetable seeds worth P18.1 million to farmers in Region 1, in the presence of Senators Imee Marcos and Bong Go. More LGUs will be served likewise.

Previously, the DA in that region released the Survival & Recovery (SURE) Loan Assistance that grants P25,000 per farmer at zero interest rate and payable in 3 years. SURE is a program of the Agricultural Credit & Policy Council, which is under the DA.

(6) Climate Change

Mr Dar says the International Panel for Climate Change, IPCC, reports that the developing countries "are expected to bear more of the brunt of the effects of climate change." The effects are on yields of crops (positive and negative), growth rates of livestock (lower), and occurrences of pests and diseases (increases and decreases).

I am more interested on the IPCC's report about the importance of lands remaining productive, as quoted by Mr Dar, that:

There are limits to the contribution of land to addressing climate change, for instance through the cultivation of energy crops and afforestation. It also takes time for trees and soils to store carbon effectively.

The world sees the need for cultivating more biofuel crops, more agroforest sites, and soils storing more carbon. On the other hand, to reduce global warming immediately, my scientific thinking says:

We can store more carbon by planting horticulturalcrops in bare soils in towns and cities that will almost immediately give us food, beauty and cool air!@517

Sustainable Rice? Frank A Hilario – "I Wish!"

On the subject of sustainability, is the United Nations contradicting itself on a global scale?

I ask that question seriously because Bruce Tolentino of the Central Bank, erstwhile Deputy Director of IRRI, has just shared on Facebook the above news on a coming UN conference: "Business Unusual: 2nd Global Sustainable Rice Conference And Exhibition" in Bangkok, Thailand 1-2 October 2019. I understand the conference theme is "Rice is key to food security and environmental protection." The website Sustainable Rice Platform is understandably excited, saying (sustainablerice.org): "The SRP Conference is back with new opportunities for participants to collaborate, influence and inspire!"

Sorry, even granting I could afford to attend, it would take a lot more to get this crusading writer to be inspired!

The researchers at UP Los Baños, of which I am an alumnus, would call that "a commodity-oriented approach." Not complimentary. Should be complementary – rice accompanied by other crops and/or livestock. As a farmer's son, I understand – you can be sustainable producing rice alone for your family, village, town, province etc. But that would be rice alone. And you need food other than rice.

"Rice is key to food security and environmental protection" – I understand; that is true because there are millions of rice farmers, and if their farming practices together bring about sustainability, so much the better!

But sustainability is a hard knot to crack, if you will pardon the forced analogy. Even with rice alone, if you want sustainability for the rice farmers, around a technology or system you want the farmers to adopt, you will have to show them all of these:

(1) Technically feasible – You must show it to be workable.

(2) Economically viable – You must show it to be financially rewarding.

(3) Environmentally sound – You must show it to be conservation-oriented, that is to say, the natural resources are allowed time to recover themselves before you exploit them again. (Like: A resource like the soil, you have to enrich it naturally!)

(4) Socially acceptable – You must see to it that: The village people approve!

I believe the best way to tackle global sustainability is not to be commodity-oriented but to be globally oriented. Let me just deal with the village, and I declare:

It takes a village to be sustainable.

Now, talking about the United Nations, UN, here are the 17 Sustainable Development Goals, SDGs, the UN wants:

1. No Poverty
2. Zero Hunger
3. Good Health And Well-Being
4. Quality Education
5. Gender Equality
6. Clean Water And Sanitation
7. Affordable And Clean Energy
8. Decent Work And Economic Growth
9. Industry, Innovation, And Infrastructure
10. Reduced Inequalities
11. Sustainable Cities And Communities
12. Responsible Consumption And Production
13. Climate Action
14. Life Below Water
15. Life On Land
16. Peace, Justice And Strong Institutions
17. Partnerships.

You cannot have them on rice alone!

Let us localize. If you ask me what does a Philippine village need, I will say: All of these:
rice
corn
vegetables
meat
milk
education
leisure!

Yes, sustainability just on a village scale is a hard knot to crack!@517

Editorial & Digital Work With Manuscripts – At 79, If I Can Do It, WE Can Do It!

Yes, I am your iVirtual Guru. I am your mentor in virtual learning – or your helper and co-producer of any manuscript, from article to a book, as writer, editor, layout artist up to and including the pdf copy for printing. I can teach, or produce for you.

The image above, which I took of my 22-inch ViewSonic external monitor, suggests the richness of the materials and the media physical and mental that can be involved in virtual learning – and creating an intellectual product.

I do not want to call it e-Learningbecause that's technical, and I'm not your technicalteacher  – I am your creative companion. You will be creative, assisted by my creative hands, head, and heart.

What can I teach? Production of any texts and images using the personal computer, PC, and the World Wide Web, also called the Web, also Internet.

iVirtual Guru is the name of my school & workplace. We talk via bulletin boards: Internet, email, and Facebook.

No transportation expenses, come and go as you please, learn & go as you will anytime anywhere!

I revolutionized education that day I created this blog, iVirtual Guru, intending to teach & do via the virtual universe, hence the name. That day: Monday, 26 August 2019, in Manila. (I have since collected into this blog older essays that fit the mood and mode of the concept of iVirtual Guru.)

A guru is a teacher, adviser, or mentor, or all 3. Tagalog Guro.

In my earlier essay (26 August 2019, "Papers, Presentations & Publications – What An iVirtual Guru Can Teach/Do For You," iVirtual Guru, ivirtualguru.blogspot.com), I said:

The term "Virtual Guru" is already accepted in the digital world; to differentiate, I am calling myself the iVirtual Guru – the attached i referring to any or all of these: Internet-based, intellectual, innovative, interesting, insightful, inclusive, ingenious, incredible.

I will now add to the list of i these: inspiring, involved, introspective, interpretive, and inviting, the last meaning open, not closed to any idea or initiative.

I learned the use of the PC starting 28 December 1985 – how could I forget the date? It was a girl from Calamba in the office of Pids Rosario, Director of the Farming Systems & Soil Resources Institute, FSSRI of UP Los Baños, who taught me first, and then I took over the teaching of myself. As my tutorial exercise, I typed that WordStar manual word for word into the computer and printed a copy so I did not have to bother her again. Thanks, FSSRI!

In 1987, I graduated to the use of Microsoft Word, and never left. Before that, after WordStar, I tried WordPerfect – it was Heaven in layout, but it was Hell to use, so I junked it in favor of Word. I am now using Word 2013, and hope to purchase Word 2019for my birthday which is next month.

My slogan today is:
At (my age), if I can do it, WE can do it!
Let me not forget to thank God.@517

Frank A Hilario Investigates The Paradigms & Paradigm Shifts Of William Dar

I investigate intellectual ideas, not intellectuals; ideas, not individuals. That way, no hard feelings – only showing 2 hands trying to define each other and coming out with a new paradigm. The above image, says the source (bibliotecapleyades.net) signifies "Moving from 'Service To Self' to 'Service To Life'" and claims that it is a new paradigm. It is.

Since I do not expect the PH investigative journalists to investigate the paradigms and paradigm shift/s of new Secretary of Agriculture William Dar/Manong Willie, I have to do it myself. Because that word is crucial to the understanding of Manong Willie's "8 Paradigms For New Thinking For Agriculture" (see my essay, "Time To Investigate PH Journalism Not Investigating PH Agriculture!" 26 August 2019, Ani Kitá, ianikita.blogspot.com). What's the matter with our investigative journalists – afraid of finding out the truth and having to make a paradigm shift?

But first, what is a paradigm? I have been surfing the Web for several days now and I like what Business Dictionary defines as a "paradigm" (businessdictionary.com):

Intellectual perception or view, accepted by an individual or a society as a clear example, model, or pattern of how things work in the world.

Your paradigm is how you look at how things work. In the case of the 8 paradigms of Manong Willie, they are requirements for development; my version now comprises commandsto PH Agriculture:

(1) Modernize!
(2) Industrialize!
(3) Promote exports!
(4) Consolidate farms!
(5) Create roadmaps!
(6) Develop infrastructure!
(7) Have higher budgets and investments!
(8) Have legislative support!

Each paradigm is debatable, of course – but in this case, I accept Manong Willie's 8 paradigms as parts of "The New Thinking for Agriculture." Each paradigm makes sense; together, they comprise a paradigm shift for PH Agriculture!

A paradigm is a point of view, way of looking at things, seeing & connecting the dots.

Is it right to say that once someone says this is the paradigm that we are going to work with in order to bring social growth via improved agriculture in the Philippines, that is it, that is final? No, but if the source of that paradigm is an authority, you have to contend with that authority, which you do not have.

A paradigm looks like a theory, but it is not presented as a theory – it is presented as a firm belief.

Paradigm: The theory of evolution is just that, except that it is presented with lots of arguments for its claim to being true. Counter-paradigm: Belief in God is a paradigm, because you cannot prove that there is a God, precisely because it is only a belief.

Now, what is a paradigm shift? Business Dictionary (businessdictionary.com) says it is a "Fundamental change in an individual's or a society's view of how things work in the world."

Did you notice? Each of Manong Willie's 8 paradigms is a paradigm shift. Thus:

Paradigm: "Export if profitable."
Paradigm shift: "PH, promote exports!"

Parting words:

"I love you" is a paradigm.
"I don't love you anymore" is a paradigm shift!@517

Time To Investigate PH Journalism Not Investigating PH Agriculture!

They are very proud to say they are investigative journalists. (Above "investigative" image from pcij.org) Nonetheless, they have not been investigating PH Agriculture since William Dar took over as the new Secretary of Agriculture 3 weeks ago. So, today, we investigate their definition of investigative.

"Journalism is critical to farming innovation take-up," says SciDev.Net (scidev.net). Need I say more?! Yes, because PH journalists are largely ignoring the developments in agriculture, especially with the very active and wide-ranging role Secretary Dar has assumed since his first day in office. PH farmers have also been largely ignoring farming innovations both software and hardware. And the Big Question of Sustainability.

Philippine agriculture has never been threatened such as these days of Climate Change and the adverse effects of RA 10203 or Rice Tariffication Law.

To rescue PH Agriculture from internal weaknesses and not only protect it from external threats but make its products competitive here and abroad, Secretary Dar has declared the adoption and utilization of "The New Thinking for Agriculture" as expressed in the following 8 paradigms (listed as simplified in my essay, "William Dar's 8 Paradigms For PH New Thinking For Agriculture," 26 August 2019, Ani Kitá, ianikita.blogspot.com):

(1) Modernization of agriculture
(2) Industrialization of agriculture
(3) Promotion of exports
(4) Farm consolidation
(5) Roadmap development
(6) Infrastructure development
(7) Higher budget and investments for agriculture, and
(8) Legislative support.

And the investigative journalists are not investigating any of that! Not that I have heard of.

And what should they be investigating? The language, my dear. Beginning with the word paradigm.

From feedback, I now see that the first problem is not the list itself but what exactly is the list made of – in precise terms, why do you list each of the 8 as a paradigm;what is a paradigm anyway? That's for me to say and the investigative journalists to find out!

In other words, Secretary Dar is now telling us that in order for PH Agriculture to elevate and distribute social good from where it is, in agriculture:

(1) PH must modernize.

(2) PH must industrialize.

(3) PH must promote exports.

(4) PH must consolidate farms.

(5) PH must create roadmaps.

(6) PH must develop infrastructure.

(7) PH must have higher budgets and investments.

(8) PH must have legislative support.

Considering all that, there must be active journalistic support of those 8 paradigms!

"What is the purpose of journalism?" asks American Press (undated, American Press Institute, americanpressinstitute.org), then answers its own question:

The purpose of journalism is… to provide citizens with the information they need to make the best possible decisions about their lives, their communities, their societies, and their governments.

News Manual says, "… The best journalists recognize their role as servants of the people" (thenewsmanual.net).

Katharine Viner says (16 November 2017, "A Mission For Journalism In A Time Of Crisis," The Guardian, theguardian.com), The Guardian's journalistic values include "a sense of duty to the reader and a sense of duty to the community."

Now, where are the investigative journalists when you need them most?!@517