William Dollente Dar – Hail To The Chief! The Man With A Thousand Shifts

It's 13:12 in Manila as I write this line at the very beginning; while we are waiting for the final news as to whether or not William Dar has been actually appointed by President Rodrigo Roa Duterte as the new Secretary of Agriculture. 

And yes, he was Secretary of Agriculture in the time of President Joseph "Erap" Estrada, when he team-captained the growth of agriculture in the highest growth rate in the country, "a stunning 9.6%, the highest growth rate in the post-Edsa 1 period," said Benjamin E Diokno, former Budget Secretary ("Agriculture Has Been Left Behind," `10 June 2015, BusinessWorld, bworldonline.com).

So what else do I expect PRRD to do, given the problems of PH agriculture today?!

Among other positions of high responsibility, Mr Dar was Director General of the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics, ICRISAT based in India for 15 long years, from 2000 to 2014. I have just finished searching for my 7 books published by ICRISAT looking for a different photograph and I have chosen that one, above, to represent "The Man With A Thousand Shifts" – which is actually the title of my essay on 21 September 2009 published in my blog iCRiSAT Watch(icrisatwatch.blogspot.com).

If you don't know him, or even if you think you know him, i'm telling you he has made at least 10 paradigm shifts in his professional work, from growing boys as boys (after his BSA major in Education at Benguet State University, BSU in Baguio), to growing boys into men (as members of a team with him as Captain of Team ICRISAT) – where he succeeded beyond expectations, bringing ICRISAT from last to first among the 15 international centers of the CGIAR Group, which includes prestigious IRRI.

Now, therefore, Hail to the Chief!

In the poem Lady Of The Lake, here are the verses, as written by Sir Walter Scott (Wikipedia, en.wikipedia.org):

Hail to the chief, who in triumph advances,
Honour'd and blest be the evergreen pine!
Long may the tree in his banner that glances,
Flourish the shelter and grace of our line.
Heaven send it happy dew,
Earth lend it sap anew,
Gaily to bourgeon and broadly to grow;
While every highland glen
Sends our shout back again
(Hail to the chief!)

So I must say British Sir Walter Scott predicted Filipino William Dar as Secretary of Agriculture at the time of the Climate Change crisis. Let me explain from the quotes.

"Hail to the chief … blessed be the evergreen pine!" The identity of the Chief is clear – he is from the city of pine trees, of course Baguio City.

And here are the lines that say "Climate Change" in case you haven't noticed:

Heaven send it happy dew,
Earth lend it sap anew,

The first line has to do with happy times in the field, the second line with the dry soil that needs water, dramatized by the occurrence of drought because of El Niño, which is brought about by Climate Change.

So, Hail to the Chief!@517

The Montessori Method Makes Me Want To Be A Child Again, Learning

Don't you?!

Above, the left image is from Rasmussen College, right image from Montessori Academy –Americans, both are saying, "Follow that child!" Teaching – and therefore learning – should be always as exciting as that. (In creative writing? "Follow that idea!")

Filipino, I studied to be a teacher, passing the very first Teacher's Exam in the Philippines 55 years ago and, believe it or not, going on 80, I'm still learning. Oh, yes, I'm self-taught in several digital skills in the wide world of producing nonfiction.

I'm not a Montessori product, but knowing what I know now, I would have loved it if I were.

This time, our youngest, Graciela Antonia "Ela" Reynoso Hilario has just begun teaching at a Montessori school in Calamba, Laguna, and I'm happy for her – and the children. I have always had the impression that going Montessori is the best way to educate a child. So what if it's expensive? If you want the best, you have to pay for it! Or do it yourself.

So, right now I am going to teach myself about the Maria Montessori Method of Teaching-Learning. MM was an Italian doctor and independent-minded educator (Wikipedia, en.wikipedia.org). I'm an independent-minded writer.

ANN says the Montessori method has 6 key principles ("Montessori Theory," Author Not Named, 2019, Daily Montessori, dailymontessori.com):

1. Independence– "Never help a child with a task at which he feels he can succeed" – MM.

2. Observation– "We can spend countless hours just watching children and see how they are enjoying themselves, exploring their environment" – ANN.

3. Following The Child – Individually, "The aim of the children who persevere in their work with an object is certainly not to 'learn;' they are drawn to it by the needs of their inner life, which must be recognized and developed by its means" – MM.

4. Correcting The Child – "Children make mistakes... There is no need to raise your voice in situations like those. Instead, calmly recognize the mistake, "Oh, you've spilled the water…, why don't we get a cloth and wipe it up?" – ANN.

5. Prepared Environment – "The teacher's first duty is to watch over the environment, and this takes precedence over all the rest…." – MM.

6. Absorbent Mind – "It is for this reason that one should not try to say 'No' to a child. We do not want them saying 'No' to us rudely. Instead, we say 'Stop' when we want to tell children that what they are doing is wrong" – ANN.

Melissa Stepien says (Brianna Flavin, 29 November 2017, "Pros and Cons of Montessori Education," Rasmussen College, rasmussen.edu): "Students who experience a Montessori classroom tend to be more able to manage themselves and think independently." (You need that ability for creativity.)

Teacher or parent, you cannot always be there – so, "teach" the child to think for oneself, decide what to do, and take responsibility for the results – and/or rewards.

Even the Chinese have imbibed the Montessori motto (ANN, undated, "Montessori Philosophy," Montessori School of Shanghai, montessorisos.com):

"Help me to do it myself."
Same as in teaching creative writing.@517

Farmers, ROTC Law: Obey First Before You Complain!

First, here is critical thinking at work, as practiced by Happy Farmers in their Facebook page (as Roserfina Del Rosario shares, "Happy Farmers: Tanim Dito, Tanim Doon," 02 August 2019) (Plant Here, Plant There), all my translation:

Happy FarmersKeep on sharing
Where is justice for the farmers?

P2,000 seeds

P3,500 pulling

P7,500 rotavating, levelling

P5,500 transplanting

P2,500 weedicide, insecticide

P10,000 fertilizer

P2,000 pabigas (can't translate)

P2,000 weeding

P8,000 crude oil

P10,000 credit

P8,000 reaper

P3,000 food for workers, helpers

equals 

P64,000 total expenses

P70,000 gross at average 100 cavans per hectare X 50 @ P14/kilo palay

P6,000 net for farmer per hectare.

The supplication of farmers:
Buy the palay right, P17 or P18/kg, both seasons harvest time.

Happy Me:

If you buy the palay at P18, that will give the farmer a total of P90,000, or a net of P26,000.

If I were President Rodrigo Duterte, will I order my Secretary of Agriculture to buy palay at P18 or even P20/kilo? Yes, but only once. Not the next time.

As PRRD, I will require the farmers to first obey Frank's Law before they complain, Frank's Law of Diminishing Costs:

(1)   Cut costs of production.

(2)   Get credit from the banks, not usurers.

(1)   Save on transplanting. From the farmers themselves, the numbers say a farmer is spending already P9,000 just for transplanting (pulling the seedlings, then transplanting). If the farmer transplants at only 2 weeks after sowing the seeds, the seedlings are still very small, can easily be pulled out of the soil, easier to transplant. That should reduce the expenses of transplanting to save P5,000 already! You will increase your yield too – lesser stress to the transplanted seedlings!

P5,000 plus P6,000 – the farmer nets P11,000 and not only P6,000.

(2)   Save on weeding.P2,000 for weeding plus P1,000 for weedicide. I'm an agriculturist; I know that there is no need for weeding – you can plow the weeds and incorporate them with the surface soil to make an organic mulch all over the field; It's called trash farming. You save P3,000 – and you enrich your soil too!

P11,000 plus P3,000 – the farmer nets P14,000 and not only P6,000.

(3)   Save on fertilizer.P10,000 for chemical fertilizer. There are many organic fertilizers now available in the Philippines, or the farmers can make their own. With organic fertilizers, farmers should be able to save P6,000 each cropping season.

P14,000 plus P6,000 – the farmer nets P20,000 and not only P6,000.

With (2) plus (3), you are also saving against Climate Change!

(4)   Save on usurious loans. P10,000 for credit ("porsyento ng porsyentuhan" – percent of percenter). If farmer borrows from a bank, or cooperative, he saves P7,000 minimum.

P20,000 plus P7,000 – the farmer nets P27,000/ha and not only P6,000!

Happy Farmers, I hear you:
Rice for consumers is bought at P50/kilo, but rice from farmers is bought at P14/kilo – where is the justice there!?

Happy Farmers, you will make me extra happy if you obey first Frank's Law of Diminishing Costs.

After that, you can complain as you wish. Happy complaining!@517

Black & White, OpAPA & The Geography of Knowledge. Digital World, When Complexity Confuses

This OpAPA book (left image above) I've had for years (?) but I never minded it until now, while looking for worthy topics for my cerebral magazine Creativity World.

Published in October 2009 in 260 pages 6"x9" trim size, the complete title is:

OpAPA. The Open Academy for Philippine Agriculture
(An Innovation In Accessing Modern Agricultural Technologies).

Yes, the image above is half the cover; yes, it is half sad. After 5 years of operation, OpAPA was begging for its life!

Here is the last paragraph of the Executive Summary of that book:

While ICT-based extension models are now at hand, these need to be further fine-tuned to fit with the dynamics and complexities of rural communities. The institutionalization of OpAPA is recommended to ensure its operations as a research-cum-development program focusing on exploring ICT applications in agriculture.

With OpAPA, 8 organizations national and international were involved – Department of Agriculture (DA), Department of Science & Technology (DoST), University of the Philippines Open University, Central Luzon State University, Pampanga Agricultural College, University of Southern Mindanao, International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT), and International Rice Research Institute (IRRI). (It was ICRISAT Director General William Dar who originally suggested OpAPA.)

With 2 Philippine Departments (DA & DoST) and 2 international centers (ICRISAT and IRRI), along with 3 local universities and 1 college – in 5 years, they failed to institutionalize OpAPA. To me, that was a classic case of "Too many cooks spoil the broth!"

In its five years of operations, OpAPA has generated several ICT models and found their viability and applications in agriculture by testing them in wide and complex landscapes through the cyber communities established across the country. Some of these modalities include the following: The Pinoy Farmers' Text Center (0920-911-1398), Pinoy Farmers' Internet (WWW.openacademy.ph); PhilRice online databases; E-commerce or Palay Tindahan; Mobile Internet Bus (MIB); E-learning; Online Campaigns; E-Forum; ICT-based IEC materials; PalayAklatan sa CyberCom (Rice Library at CyberCom); ICT Road Shows; School-on-the-Air; and Radio+SMS+Internet Service.

Wow! They were doing so many things at the same time! They were trying too hard. In the world of creativity, too many creative minds is too many.

Take it from me, an Ilocano aboriginal original from Central Luzon.

Now, look at the right image above; it says:

Draft 2, 28/12/2003
The Geography Of Knowledge
What you seek is what you get!
Frank A Hilario

That is the cover of the soft copy of the book I submitted to the OpAPA people as a consultant in its first year of operation. (I still have a soft copy of it; if interested, email me at frankahilario@gmail.com.). I was working that Sunday; that was no problem. The next day, I submitted that book, a proposal on the configuration of OpAPA that was radical. An Ilocano, I'm an original aboriginal. The day after, I was told that my contract for consultancy was not going to be renewed. That was the problem!

I forgave them 15 years ago. Today, I still think OpAPA can be renewed. Try me!@517

What Can The Bible Teach Us Vs Climate Change? Actually, That Depends On You!

I am a Roman Catholic; if you're not one, I ask you: "Where is Climate Change in the Bible?" (above image from CBN, cbn.com)

Actually, there is none! Whether it's the New Revised Standard Version (my favorite) or the New International Version (everybody else's favorite).

So: The ancient Bible is irrelevant in these modern times?!

No, Love, no!

In my essay "Vs Climate Change, We Don't Need Science – We Need Selflessness, Generosity & Activism!" 01 August 2019, Creativity World, icreativityworld.blogspot.com), instead of "The New Environmentalism" proposed by Harvard Dean Gus Speth, I recommended "The New Evangelism."

So, in a sense, this is a Back-to-the-Bible Broadcast in digital media. Here are The Ten Commandments I have memorized (Catechism Of The Catholic Church, vatican.va):

1. I am the Lord your God; you shall not have strange gods before me.

2. You shalt not take the name of the Lord your God in vain.

3. Remember to keep holy the Lord's Day.

4. Honor your father and your mother.

5. You shall not kill.

6. You shall not commit adultery.

7. You shall not steal.

8. You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.

9. You shall not covet your neighbor's wife.

10. You shall not covet your neighbor's goods.

Actually, what I have memorized is "Thou" instead of "You." But it does not matter how you put it in words – what matters is how you practice it, Catholic or not.

Now, how do you apply The Ten Commandments vs Climate Change?

I'll give you one, the last, the 10th: "You shall not covet your neighbor's goods "

Thus: In science, for the sake of sustainability, whatever you do must be all of these:

(1)   Technically feasible

(2)   Repeatable

(3)   Economically viable

(4)   Environmentally sound

(5)   Socially acceptable.

I added "Repeatable" to make it memorable: TREES. Essays are made by fools like me, but only God can make trees.

The environment is your neighbors' goods too! So, whatever you do must allow the environment to regenerate itself in time. Such as in a forest, you cut only the old trees and not clear the whole forest, which is not environmentally friendly and not socially acceptable. The law of God must prevail over the law of man – or what's the Bible for?

The fundamental issue is not Climate Change but Private Change. It's your Spirit vs my Spirit, your God vs my God. If your God is Science, so be it! But do not impose on me.

From now on, I stopdebating Environmental Science with anyone. I am going to actively practice my Christianity in words, deeds and thoughts.

Deeds: Say, if you can finance a 1-hectare operation anywhere in Luzon, I will demonstrate the above 5 values of sustainability by a farm demo. And blog about it.

Now, with the Bible, we must be creative! Make love, not war.

Use the Bible to understand each other, not quarrel!

It's not The New Environmentalism of the Harvard Dean. It's The New Evangelism.

God is great!@517

William Dar – We Need New Thinking For Agriculture. FAH – I Have Faith!

I have faith in William Dar, former Director General of ICRISAT based in India, now founder President of InangLupa Movement based in Quezon City, even as he expounds in the Manila Times his continuing series of columns on his New Thinking for Agriculture, and that is why I have been following him up. He is one who thinks out of the box (image from fotolia.com).

In his column of today, "Increasing The Income Of Farmers And Fisherfolk" 2nd of 2 parts (01 August 2019, manilatimes.net), William Dar asks rhetorically:

Is there a need to have an agribusiness approach toward our country's agriculture sector, with the aim also of creating agripreneurs from the current ranks of smallholders and the youth?

"Yes," he says. Mr Dar is talking about the poor farmers and the young ones, to help them succeed in agriculture.

About the poor, since I am into what I call The New Evangelism (see my essay, "Vs Climate Change, We Don't Need Science – We Need Selflessness, Generosity & Activism!" 01 August 2019, Creativity World, icreativityworld.blogspot.com), let me quote St Paul talking (NRSV):

They asked only one thing, that we remember the poor, which was actually what I had been eager to do – Galatians 2:10.

Mr Dar says, aside from competitiveness of Big Business:

Competitiveness also means smallholder farmers and fisherfolk earning enough to feed their families, and making them more food secure and part of the expanding market for consumer and durable products.

So we want the small farmers to become financially successful to the degree of self-sufficiency that they can realistically reach. But there's a problem. Now, Mr Dar almost is saying, "The problem is when you have no money, no bank will lend you money!"

Mr Dar is saying no bank will lend you money to become profitable unless you can show that you already are profitable! That is why I insist that in trying to help the poor, especially the farmers and their families, there must be mercy and compassion. Along with the New Thinking for Agriculture, must be The New Evangelism.

And I with The New Evangelism will insist that farmers to be helped are members of multipurpose cooperatives whose Board include representatives of the Church and at least one religious organization, to ensure honesty, integrity and social justice.

Mr Dar then talks about the LandBank as a mover of financial help:

But there is still a need for a "catalyst" that would lend to smallholder farmers and fisherfolk, and struggling agripreneurs and agribusiness firms and help them achieve profitability and competitiveness…

Mr Dar also says:

Also, increased lending to the agriculture sector should be accompanied or even preceded by financial literacy training for individual stakeholders, organized farmers and fisherfolk, and agribusiness firms and agripreneurs.

I myself prefer that LandBank prefer to help the organized farmers, the ones who know God's law:

Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ (Galatians 6:2, NRSV)

With the New Thinking for Agriculture must come The New Evangelism!@517

Vs Climate Change, We Don't Need Science – We Need Selflessness, Generosity & Activism!

Vs Climate Change, we must do Primate Change. 

I just saw that Facebook sharing of an image by Dino Opena and it opened my primate eyes:

I used to think the top environmental problems were biodiversity loss, ecosystem collapse and climate change. ¶ I thought that with 30 years of good science we could address those problems. ¶ But I was wrong. The top environmental problems are selfishness, greed and apathy… ¶ And to deal with those, we need a spiritual and cultural transformation. ¶ – and we scientists don't know how to do that.

It's James Gustav "Gus" Speth saying that. ANN says Gus Speth is founder of the World Resources Institute; co-founder of the Natural Resources Defense Council – he is a lawyer (Author Not Named, "Gus Speth Calls for a 'New' Environmentalism," 13 February 2015, Living On Earth,  loe.org). So! This is 4-year old news; but thank you, Dino for opening my eyes again!

As I have just found out too, Gus Speth's Eureka Moment that led to his call for a "New Environmentalism" happened more than 10 years ago. In her 2010 article in The Miami Herald, Courtney Woo says (18 February 2010, "Religion Rejuvenates Environmentalism," fore.yale.edu), "Evangelical pastor Ken Wilson's environmental conversion began a few years ago with goose bumps, watery eyes and an appeal for help." Yes, a few years before 2010, Mr Wilson heard Gus Speth, then Dean of Forestry at Yale University, say to a group of religious leaders, what I quoted above (partly seen in the image above).

I woke up to the reality of climate change in 2007 myself, I remembered I had a blog called Primate Change, where I published copies of my own articles when I was still writing for American Chronicle (which went thataway), published free, starting 04 February 2007.

But I did not come to the spiritual awakening that happened to Gus Speth. However, I say, at 78 going on 79 in September, I say, "It's never too late to grow up even when you've grown old!" 

Did you notice? Gus Speth's jump from understanding the world using Science to understanding the world using Sense or Spirit, occurred not by critical thinking but by creative thinking! Creativity covers the world.

Now then, since we are denying that science can solve the environmental crisis, Gus Speth's call for "A New Environmentalism" is still too much Science and not enough God-Sense (my coinage). I quote again: "The top problems… are selfishness, greed and apathy." Therefore, the new call must be for something like this:

A New Evangelism.

Rather than:
Selfishness, Greed, Apathy – SGA. It should be the exact opposites:
Selflessness, Generosity, Activism – SGA.

In the New Evangelism, we must practice Selflessness first, then Generosity, then Activism – SGA. On with SGA! Let not our spirits SAG; rather, let us step on the GAS!

Let us overpower selfishness; cultivate our generosity; and show the world, one  soul at a time, a good Christian example of a living soul:

Do not just quote the Bible – live it!@517