Mel Sta Maria On Leni Winning – Truth Journalism Becomes THiNK! Journalism, See!

I salute Mel Sta Maria’s “10 Dahilan” (“10 Reasons”) as a successful result of a superb attempt to turn a truth-seeking missile into a fruit-bearing message – that is, if truth be told, truth should be thrown in the spirit of kindness.

Mr Sta Maria wrote “10 Dahilan Kung Bakit Makabubuti Kay Duterte Ang Pagkapangulo Ni Leni[1]” (20 Nov 2020, Rappler.com). (After this, my free translation: “10 Reasons Why Leni’s Presidency Will Be Better For Duterte.”)
(Robredo-Duterte image[2] from BenarNews.org)

I describe “10 Reasons” as “brilliant” because in a subtle way, it assuages the fears of Duterte and at the same time assures the followers of Leni and the Filipino people at large:

With Leni as President, all is fair in love and war!

Mr Sta Maria’s piece appears in Rappler. Truth Journalism, which is what Rappler espouses, has won for its CEO Maria Ressa the Nobel Peace Prize 2021. A Nobel is noble, but hers is unhealthy reportage, as it delights investigating the bad over intellectualizing the good! Differently, Mr Sta Maria’s piece belongs to what I myself practice: THiNK! Journalism – True + Helpful + Inspiring + Necessary + Kind: THiNK!

Melencio Santos Sta Maria Jr, I pronounce you: “Man, A Thinking Journalist!”

Here are Mr Sta Maria’s 10 reasons, with my free translation (much shortened for my strict 517-word-essay rule):

First: Leni believes in the Rule of Law. If someone charges Duterte in court, Leni will make sure that he will be given due process of law. All opportunities will be opened for him to defend himself, not cut off or denied.

Second: Leni will not allow Duterte to be charged without strong evidence against him.

Third: Leni is not vindictive. She will not weaponize the law.

Fourth: Duterte will be honored by Leni. She will not verbally abuse him, insult, scare, be rude, or put him in an intrigue. Leni has no habit of despising anyone. Leni has no outrageous habits.

Fifth: Even if Duterte criticizes the policies of Leni, she knows that it is all part of a vibrant democracy.

Sixth: The followers of Duterte should not be afraid that they will be shadowed even while they have not done anything wrong.

Seventh: Most of all, extrajudicial killing is against the conscience of Leni.

Eighth: Granting that Duterte has done something good for the country, Leni will thank him. And if Duterte had any promise unfulfilled but beneficial, she may study the matter.

Ninth: The behavior described above towards Duterte will also be experienced by members of his family.

Tenth: Under President Leni, Duterte will not be judged based on rumor, claim of matrix, or mere stories.

Mr Sta Maria did not know it, but his 1,021-word opinion piece published by Rappler belongs in my THiNK! Journalism, his whole Tagalog-English piece being True + Helpful + Inspiring + Necessary + Kind. Truth Journalism seeks the hurtful, painful, even shocking truth – to the detriment of everyone.

In other words, a Leni Victory is at the same time a Duterte Victory!@517

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[1]https://www.rappler.com/voices/thought-leaders/just-saying-10-reasons-why-robredo-presidency-good-for-duterte/?utm_medium=Social&utm_campaign=Echobox&utm_source=Facebook&fbclid=IwAR2z3F3I-GJGadJTEeHqLZyEi0ZfECHfzxGHAppufgqltHm5ads48lrjFS4#Echobox=1639806057

[2]https://www.benarnews.org/english/news/philippine/Duterte-vice-president-11192019130342.html

Here’s How To Make Planting Rice Ever Fun, Starting 2022. Also Painting

For PH Agriculture today, we must say “Goodbye” to old methods; New Year 2022, we must say “Hello” to modern planters, mechanical, thus say “Goodbye” to men & women planters, human.

Above: Main[1] image is an impressionist painting, from Fineartamerica.com; superimposed image is a mechanical transplanter[2] from PhilMech (YouTube.com). Human labor must give way to technology!

No, I’m not against the popular 1950s rice planting paintings of famous Filipino painter Fernando Amorsolo, even as my son Paul Hilario is the painter of the image above, even as he is now an internationally acknowledged artist in the manner of impressionism, which I love. Interestingly, my son became Curator of the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), whose Rice Knowledge Bank features the transplanter, yet I never read IRRI promoting mechanical over manual transplanting of rice, I wonder why.

Here comes ANN with the “OneDA Family Yearender,” 1^st of 5-part series (Author Not Named, 01 Jan 2021, “PHL Remains Resilient, Expects Another Record Palay Harvest, Amid Challenges”). It’s 867 words, including title – but I’m interested only in the 61-word list of 3 “notable accomplishments of the RCEF” – the Department of Agriculture (DA) utilizing the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (RCEF) for operations, added to regular OneDA budgets.

So, how goes the Rice Nation? ANN says:

DA's Philippine Integrated Rice Program Director Dionisio Alvindia said initial estimates show that 2021 palay production could reach at least 19.95 MMT, combining the January to September output of 12.55 MMT and the expected fourth quarter (Q4) harvest of at least 7.4 MMT.

Secretary of Agriculture William Dar said:

We are optimistic that the 2021 agriculture sector performance is better than the previous year. We would be happy with a one-percent positive growth. This year… we expect another record (rice) harvest, surpassing last year's output of 19.4 million metric tons (MMT), despite losses due to Typhoon Odette.

To date, among the most notable achievements of OneDA implementing the RCEF are:

1.     “Increase in average palay production to 4.26 MT per hectare (ha) from 3.64 MT/ha…” That points to an increase of 0.62 MT harvest of rice/ha. You have to increase harvest to increase income.

2.     “Decrease in production cost, per PSA data from P12.52/kg to P11.52/kg.” That points to a difference of P1/kg in cost. You have to reduce cost to increase profit.

3.     “Decrease in inbred seed utilization via manual method by 33%, from 90 kg/ha to 60 kg ha; and further decrease in seed utilization using mechanical seeder by 67% to 30 kg/ha.” The seeder sows seeds with uniform spacing, no wastes. Note that ANN says, “Decrease in inbred seed utilization via manual method by 33%” – meaning that with mechanical planting instead of manual, the amount of inbred seeds needed for mechanical is only 67% of that for manual transplanting.

2022: Art with applied science. I say, in portraying rice planting in the Philippines, traditional painters like Amorsolo would lose human models, while impressionist painters like Hilario gain, literally, a firm foothold. Even painters have to bow to new technology!@517

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[1]https://fineartamerica.com/featured/patiently-planting-paddy-paul-hilario.html

[2]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HvYHpsdb4yA

Best Way To Predict The Future? "Exceptional Times Call For Exceptional Measures" – Sec William Dar

Management Guru Peter Drucker famously said, “The best way to predict the future is to create it.” I see Drucker’s advice as a guide of Secretary William Dar in leading the Department of Agriculture (DA) and all attached agencies (as OneDA) towards a bright future for PH Agriculture – despite the Covid chaos.
(“The best way…” image[1] from BrainyQuote)

Remember, Mr Dar is an excellent “Servant Leader” (see my essay, “The Journey of ICRISAT & William Dar. The End is Another Beginning[2],” 14 Dec 2014, iCRiSAT Watch, Blogspot.com). He proved it with unprecedented international success with ICRISAT, servant-leading it from dead last to #1, until his retirement in 2014. The perceptive leader knows what servants-employees must do to help shape the future.

ANN says (Author Not Named, 29 Dec 2021, “Dar Issues 2022 Marching Orders For DA Execs And Staff: ‘Exceptional Times Call For Extraordinary Measures[3]’”(DA.gov.ph):

We have done much to ensure our national food security in these difficult times. However, the global Covid-19 pandemic continues to limit any semblance of normalcy for people already fed up with quarantine lockdowns and mobility restrictions. In agriculture, the African Swine Fever…, the series of calamities, and the global hike in prices of inputs (corn, soybeans, fertilizer, petroleum, etc.), have aggravated the situation…

These are extremely difficult times, calling for extremely intelligent leadership and extremely creative & productive followership.

Now then, are you ready for 2022? OneDA should be. According to ANN, Sec Dar has issued instructions to observe for 2022 these 4 measures: “effective fund utilization, proactive planning & implementation, publication of operations manuals for all units, and institutionalization of food systems as advocated by the United Nations.”

“Effective fund utilization”

It’s like Mr Dar is saying, “Show me the money – where it went!” OneDA will have to show where the funds go: who, what, where, when, how, and why. If you keep records for any authorized person to review, you will have to keep your operations clean and neat. Looking at the records, any scrutinizing person should be able to add two and two together to make four, not five!

“Proactive planning and implementation”

Before you implement anything, make sure you have included it in your plans for your agency or unit, and that anyone can check it out. You plan ahead for those moments you know are coming from the people, who are your clients – remember, you are servants of the people.

“Publication of operations manual for all units”

That is a Servant Leader’s smart way of saying without saying, “You must make sure your office is operating according to published procedures that anyone can check out with.” Everyone must follow protocols, including any group wanting to work with the DA. No shenanigans!

“Institutionalization of the food systems approach”

This is something new to me. Here is an explanation by the Food & Business Knowledge Platform[4]:

A food systems approach (FSA) is a useful interdisciplinary conceptual framework for research and policy aimed at sustainable solutions for the sufficient supply of healthy food. An FSA analyses the relationships between the different parts of the food system and the outcomes of activities within the system in socio-economic and environmental/climate terms.

All in all, Mr Dar is like saying:

It’s time for OneDA to check out how Research and Policy can join hands to bring about sustainable systems for the supplies of healthy foods for Filipinos. Beyond sustainable, food supplies must address national socio-economic as well as climate change concerns.

“Address climate change concerns” – Yes Sir! And the intelligent response I see today is for farmers to practice Regenerative Agriculture.@517

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[1]https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/peter_drucker_131600

[2]https://icrisatwatch.blogspot.com/2014/12/the-journey-of-icrisat-william-dar-end.html

[3]http://rfu12.da.gov.ph/2-uncategorised/5776-agriculture-secretary-william-dar-wants-the-department-of-agriculture-da-to-focus-on-four-central-measures-to-guide-policy-decisions-and-programs-next-year

[4]https://knowledge4food.net/food-systems-approach-report/

PH DA Grants P27 Million To Cordillera Farmer Coops – Usec Sebastian Gives 1Million-Dollar Advice!

Good fortune doesn’t come as golden as this: The Department of Agriculture (DA) has awarded a total of P54.5 million to Cordilleran farmers as of 23 Dec 2021.

ANN says on 23 Dec, “Agri-Stakeholders Inaugurate P26.7M BAPTC Processing & Packaging Facility; (DA) Turns Over Marketing & Consolidation Grants to FCAs, Tinoc LGU[1]” (Author Not Named, Business.facebook.com). The P26.7M was for the Benguet Agri-Pinoy Trading Center (BAPTC) “to enhance postharvest services to farmers by providing equipment for postharvest, processing, packing ,,,to improve the quality of products.” The fund is under the DA Bayanihan II stimulus package jointly implemented by the DA and the Benguet State University (BSU) based at La Trinidad, Benguet. The BAPTC is on the Strawberry Fields at the BSU campus.

BSU President Felipe Salaing Comila committed BSU to provide “the best experts in the University to help and assist towards the (improvement) of trading vegetables as well as in the better packaging of agri-products.”

Separately, a financial grant of P27,865,000 under the Enhanced Kadiwa ni Ani at Kita was awarded to farmer cooperatives and associations (FCAs) and one local government unit (Tinoc) in the Cordillera. The Certificates were awarded by Agriculture Undersecretary (Usec) Leocadio Sebastian and assisted by Cordillera Regional Technical Director (RTD) for Operations Danilo Daguio and RTD for Research & Regulations Jennilyn Dawayan.

The grant was for the FCAs to establish a postharvest facility for value-adding on farmers’ produce, as well as procuring transport and delivery vehicles. This is in line with the DA’s goal to intensify the operations of Kadiwa not only in Metro Manila but in the regions, to enhance food availability and facilitate accessibility to consumers in high-demand areas through partnerships with other government agencies, local government units, farmer groups, private sector, and community organizations.

Marcos Luciap, Chair of the Tawangan Agrarian Reform Community Multipurpose Cooperative, acknowledged BSU “as a partner in development not just in terms of education.” He thanked the DA for including the FCAs in its programs, saying “It shows that the government support to us farmers is (comprehensive).”

Municipal Mayor Samson Benito of Tinoc, Ifugao committed LGU Tinoc to “the continuous operation and maintenance of the agri-programs and assistance that they have received.”

After those millions of pesos, Mr Sebastian gave a golden message to all:

Usec Sebastian shared his experiences and observations… particularly (in) Vietnam and Malaysia. He gave emphasis on three aspects, namely reduction of production cost, diversification in crops, and improvement of marketing system.

Thinking with Mr Sebastian, I agriculturist and warrior writer now emphasize his emphasis on reducing production cost and diversifying crops.

Farmers must cut down the high cost of farming – with more science and more art (management).

Farmers will profit more growing more crops simultaneously. Should one crop fail, other crops will save each farmer’s labors & family.

The above image[2] is typical of Cordillera farms. Britannica says there are 4,000 square miles of such rice terraces[3] – imagine how many millions of pesos more Cordillera farmers could earn following Mr Sebastian’s advice?!@517

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[1]https://business.facebook.com/rafiscordillera/posts/2477004629101212?__tn__=K-R

[2]https://www.tripadvisor.com.ph/Attraction_Review-g294249-d3208819-Reviews-Hapao_Rice_Terraces-Banaue_Ifugao_Province_Cordillera_Region_Luzon.html#/media-atf/3208819/102246756:p/?albumid=-160&type=0&category=-160

[3]https://www.britannica.com/place/Banaue-rice-terraces

A Haunting Message From Filipino Hero Jose Rizal, Via Sen Kiko Pangilinan!

4 years ago, exactly on 30 Dec 2017, our National Hero Jose Rizal haunted, so to speak, Sen Kiko Pangilinan, and Farmer Senator Kiko broadcasted the following seeds of thoughts for all to watch grow and harvest the fruits therefrom, both in English and Tagalog (long titles with big-sized texts mine):
(Rizal & rice image[1] from FutureRice.com;
texts in English and Tagalog from “Sen. Kiko Pangilinan Remembers Rizal As A Farmer[2],” kikopangilinan.com)

“I Choose To Remember Jose Rizal As A Farmer Who Reminds Us That We Need To Measure Development By How Abundant Are The Farmers’ Own Dining Tables” – Kiko Pangilinan, 30 Dec 2017

Today, we remember our national hero, a writer, a doctor, and a martyr. Today, I choose to remember Jose Rizal as a farmer who soiled his hands and feet to learn the basics of agriculture, studying how to make the land he bought near Dapitan productive.

During his exile on the land in the coastal barangay of Talisay, he planted rice and corn and vegetables, and raised chickens. He also founded a cooperative that helped other farmers use efficient farming techniques (like use of fertilizer, crop rotation, and use of farm machines), and market their produce. ing together, can help uplift agricultural workers from ignorance and poverty.

Ka Pepe left the haunting message that genuine independence cannot exist when Filipino farmers are still disrespected and poor. We need to measure development by how abundant their own dining tables are.#

“Inaaalala Natin Si Jose Rizal Bilang Isang Magsasakang Nagpababatid Na Dapat Nating Sukatin Ang Pag-Unlad Sa Kung Gaano Kasagana Ang Hapag-Kainan Mismo Ng Mga Magsasakang Pilipino” – Kiko Pangilinan, 30 Dis 2017

Ngayong araw na ito, inaaalala natin ang ating pambansang bayani, isang manunulat, isang doktor, at isang martir. Ngayong araw na ito, pinili kong maalala si Jose Rizal bilang magsasakang nagbungkal ng lupa para pag-aralan ang agrikultura at paano pa mas maging masagana ang ani ng lupang binili niya sa may Dapitan.

Noong kanyang exile sa lupain sa baybaying barangay ng Talisay, nagtanim siya ng palay, mais, at gulay, at nag-alaga ng mga manok. Nagtatag din siya ng kooperatibang tumulong sa iba pang magsasaka para gumamit ng mga mabisang paraan sa pagsasaka (tulad ng paggamit ng pataba, crop rotation, at paggamit ng mga makinarya), at para ibenta ang kanilang mga naani.

Alam niya na ang agham at technolohiya, kasama ng bayanihan, ay makakatulong para maiahon ang manggagawang agrikultural mula sa kamangmangan at kahirapan.

Nag-iwan si Ka Pepe ng nakakabahalang mensahe: walang tunay na kasarinlan kung ang mga Pilipinong magbubukid ay nananatiling minamaliit at mahirap. Dapat nating sukatin ang pag-unlad sa kung gaano kasagana ang kanilang sariling mga hapag-kainan.#

An agriculturist, a blogger of 21 years, and very wide reader, I am pleasantly surprised with the thoughts of Senator Kiko on Jose Rizal’s thoughts regarding the growers of crops and animals for food. If our farmers themselves can only afford limited fare on their families’ own dining tables, how can we Filipinos say, “Yes, the Philippines is a developed country!?”@517

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[1]http://futurerice.blogspot.com/2015/08/commemorating-heroism-through-rice.html

[2]https://kikopangilinan.com/sen-kiko-pangilinan-remembers-rizal-farmer/?cn-reloaded=1

On Jose Rizal’s Martyrdom 30 Dec 1896, Filipinos Lost A Fearless Hero – And A Martyr For Agriculture!

I am an alumnus of the University of the Philippines College of Agriculture (UPCA, now UP Los Baños). Today, I want to celebrate the martyrdom of our National Hero by talking about Ateneo’s favorite son who was, surprised? Farmer Jose Rizal!
(above image from Rizal Shrine in Talisay[1], from Phtourguide.com)

I am reading the article “Rizal As A Farmer In Dapitan[2]” on the JoseRizal.Ph website, with this 1^st paragraph:

To prove to his people that farming is (as) good a profession as medicine, Rizal became a farmer in Dapitan. In a letter to his sister, Lucia, on 12 Feb 1896, he said: "We cannot all be doctors; it is necessary that there would be some to cultivate the soil."

"We cannot all be doctors; it is necessary that there would be some to cultivate the soil."

This is surprising as Rizal is up to now Ateneo’s favorite son. Yet Ateneo forgot Agriculture, one of the courses it was already offering in Rizal’s time. Does that mean that the Spanish Ateneo administrators did not give much value to this course in their own academe? And no, there is no Agriculture in today’s Ateneo offerings:

All that suggests that the Ateneo Fathers looked down on the cultivators of the fields as second class citizens, even if they were the ones who grew the food that went into their hungry mouths. The Ateneo Fathers did not recognize the radical in Rizal’s mind: “We cannot all be doctors; it is necessary that there would be some to cultivate the soil.”

If you look at the above image again, it is a reminder that this Filipino valued farming even as he valued his doctoring. I remember that his brother Paciano was the one who managed their landholdings in Laguna growing sugarcane, whose stalks produced sweetness and the pesos that were the source of Jose’s education in the Philippines as well as in Spain.

So, how good was Jose Rizal as a farmer in Dapitan? He was very good; he knew his science very well.

JoseRizal.Ph says:

On this land in Talisay… with the help of his pupils and some laborers, (Rizal) cleared it and planted cacao, coffee, coconuts, and fruit trees.... In due time, his total land holdings reached 70 hectares. They contained 6,000 abaca plants, 1,000 coconut palms, many coffee and cacao plants and numerous kinds of fruit trees.

Science calls that terrific combination “multiple cropping,” mixed plantings of abaca, cacao, coconut, coffee, and fruit trees. (My source does not mention rice.)

(Rizal) encouraged the Dapitan farmers to replace their primitive system of cultivation with these modern methods… the use of fertilizers, the rotation of crops, and the use of farm machines. Rizal actually imported some farm machines from the United States.

And you know what? As the superimposed image states, “Sen Kiko Pangilinan Remembers Rizal As A Farmer[3]” – now then, as an Agriculturist, there is none other whom I will vote for as Vice President in 2022!@517

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[1]http://www.phtourguide.com/rizal-shrine-in-dapitan-city/

[2]http://www.joserizal.ph/dp03.html

[3]http://legacy.senate.gov.ph/press_release/2017/1230_pangilinan1.asp

With Super Typhoon-Spawning Climate Change, Let’s Give Ourselves Greener Hope Doing Less Chemical Agriculture!

In 1968, I taught Organic Farming at Xavier U College of Agriculture in Cagayan De Oro City, that which Nicanor “Nicky” Perlas acknowledges he owes me. He went on to embrace Biodynamic Farming and win the International Right Livelihood Award. He proceeded to proselytize for Sustainable Development and I owed him in turn.

Whatever agriculture you do belongs to sustainable development if (1) technically feasible, (2) economically viable, (3), environmentally sound, and (4) socially acceptable. Sorry, but today, 53 years later, I am proselytizing against Sustainable Development – because I have realized that it is a humanitarian concept but in fact it is in favor of climate change without our knowledge!

I am a diehard Roman Catholic; the image you see above is from the website cbcp.org of the Christian Bible Church of the Philippines (CBCP). The initials “CBCP” had belonged to the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines as early as 1945 – nonetheless, this Catholic salutes those CBCP Bible Christians for coming out with “Give Hope Odette” before Christmas 2021.

I too wish to give hope to fellow Filipinos, not only the victims of super typhoon Odette but to all islanders of the Philippines, by pointing out that we can all give hope to ourselves by directly confronting climate change. No, you’re never neither too small nor too ignorant to do what you can do.
(“You’re never too small” image[1] from Pinterest.ph)

I am on record as co-authoring with UPLB Professor Teodoro C Mendoza the technical paper “Rice As Food For Peace: Major Debate Points In The Philippine Context” published in the Philippine Journal of Crop Science vol26 #1 released March 2003 with me as Editor In Chief. We noted that “climate change” is otherwise known as “global warming.” Among other things, we said, “We must change our energy use, the way we cultivate the soil and feed the plants.”

On my own, my earliest writing about what we can do about climate change dates back to 14 years ago (see my essay, “Climate Change In UK, Then In UP, Then In US[2]?” (19 Nov 2007, UP Beloved).

The US EPA tells us that as of 2019, transportation contributed 29% of greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs), electricity production 25%, industry 23%, commercial & residential 13%, land use & forestry 12%, and agriculture 10%[3] (website entry undated).

I declare, sustainable or not, current chemical agriculture contributes very much more to GHGs, because you need:
much electricity/gas to mine inputs for farm chemicals;
much energy to manufacture chemical fertilizers & pesticides;
much gasoline to transport chemicals from factories to farms;
much energy to plant & cultivate & weed out & irrigate & harvest & dry farm produce & store & process & transport products to differently located markets.

I see that Sustainable Agriculture is at least 4 times more guilty of climate change than we have ever thought!

Now, to fight climate change within probabilities? We must practice Regenerative Agriculture! We can do much to fight climate change simply practicing organic farming!@517

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[1]https://www.pinterest.ph/pin/767371223996732845/

[2]https://upbeloved.wordpress.com/

[3]https://www.epa.gov/ghgemissions/sources-greenhouse-gas-emissions