Unannounced, “The Think Revolution” In PH Has Been Happening Via Agriculture, With The Quiet Leadership Of Agriculture Secretary William Dar

“Let Leni Lead,” Leni Robredo’s supporters would say. “Let The Mind Lead” I would say. Theirs is The Pink Revolution. An agriculturist and a communicator for village development, I find more meaning in The Think Revolution that involves millions of farmers. This Revolution has very few people paying attention to and supporting it.

That explains the images above: blue heads communicating from Dreamstime.com, aggie-related scenes in a single Windows 10 accidental collage the photograph of which I took from my external 20-in ViewSonic monitor. And why did I superimpose a profile of Mr Dar right in the middle of the composite image? Because he is the Thinker of The Think Revolution!

The truth is, some 2 months before he was appointed Secretary, on Monday, 03 Jun 2019, in his Manila Times column, Mr Dar came out with his “The ‘New Thinking’ For Agriculture” (manilatimes.net), where he said:

I can affirm we can double the income of farmers and fisherfolk in three years, also taking into account value-adding activities and the downstream industries they can create.

For the New Thinking for agriculture, he said:

I have conceptualized eight paradigms to level up the country’s agriculture sector: modernization must continue; industrialization of agriculture is key; promotion of exports is a necessity; consolidation of small- and medium-sized farms; roadmap development would be crucial; infrastructure development would be critical; higher budget and investment for Philippine agriculture (are required); and legislative support is needed.

Note: New Thinking with its 8 paradigms – Mr Dar is an original thinker.

Repeat: He said, “I can affirm we can double the income of farmers and fisherfolk in three years.” But then, because of the occurrence of multiple cases of the coronavirus (Covid-19), on Sunday, 08 Mar 2020, PH President Rodrigo Roa Duterte issued a state of public health emergency, and things have not been the same since – while your thoughts are free, your movements are not. And the Philippines has never been the same again, to put it mildly.

Covid-19 notwithstanding, undaunted as a whole, the New Thinking For Agriculture continues.

Now, why did I choose Blue as color for The Think Revolution?

According to Colour Affects (colour-affects.co.uk), the color Blue is “Intellectual” and “positive” representing “Intelligence, communication, trust, efficiency, serenity, duty, logic, coolness, reflection, calm.” And you know what? Those words aptly describe the current Secretary of Agriculture – William Dar!
(image, mnh.ph)

I wrote about his appointment in excitement; see my 1^st essay on the subject: “William Dar Is Agriculture Secretary & DA Is All Over The Place – So Is Science!” 07 Sept 2019, Ani Kita, Blogspot.com). A Thinker in Science.

“The Think Revolution” – No, nobody has ever heard of it because, alone, I just thought of that name today, Sunday, 27 Feb 2022.

The Think Revolution has been happening, quietly being carried out all over the Philippines by agencies and agents of the DA, collectively referred to as “OneDA” – it waits to be shared by millions, if silently, and consciously so.@517

Is This The Morning Of A New PH Nationalism As Well As Dedicated Journalism In Agriculture Cultivating Farmers’ Progress?

Happily: From my observation since 2019, PH Agriculture is looking good – we are looking at the sunrise of farming – despite Covid-19 etc. Unhappily: At the same time, we are looking at the private media’s overall journalism that is hardly dedicated to prosperity in the lives of Filipino farm families. And no presidential or senatorial candidate is talking about agriculture, the #1 industry in the Philippines.

On Facebook today, Saturday, 28 February 2022, Maris Diokno is un/happily sharing her father Jose W Diokno’s legacies of Human Rights and Nationalism – “Remembering Dad” – saying, with I noting Maris’ brother Chel Diokno is running for the office of Senator:

The victory we aspire for in May 2022 is not about ourselves but about causes way beyond us: justice and equity and dignity as human beings and as a people – in Dad’s words, “a nation full of hope and full of joy, full of life and full of love.”

Happily, as a journalist and an agriculturist (UP '65), instantly and wholeheartedly, when I read “a nation full of hope and full of joy, full of life and full of love,” I think of Agriculture. Unhappily, I think of the millions of Filipino farmers Not full of hope, Not full of joy, Not full of life, and Not full of love!

All those 4 Nots on Filipino farming not enjoyed by farmers, I blame on journalists not full of hope, not full of joy, not full of life, and not full of love when they write!

Concrete example: Since March 2019 at least, I have been googling & writing about Philippine Agriculture – and I have not found any private journalist or opinion writer mentioning even in passing current Secretary of Agriculture William Dar’s “New Thinking About Agriculture” along with the paradigms providing its “infrastructure.” I am quite sure not one of our PH journalists knows what the new thinking is, what are those paradigms and how many – and how do they relate to Philippine agriculture as envisioned by Mr Dar.

If PH journalists do not relate to the bigger picture, how can they be trusted to deliver good news on agriculture?!

Necessarily, PH journalists will have to learn what I call “CoViD21” – from Communication for Village Development – the “21” being a reminder of 2 things: (a) Covid-19, and (b) that I thought of it in 2021. Better late than never! CoViD21 is my optimistic view of the coming PH Agriculture – that Organic Agriculture will enrich more farming families and villages.

If you have been reading me, you know organic agriculture equals regenerative agriculture, our saving grace – fundamentally, we restore the health of the earth. Regenerative agriculture is our Samson defeating with a single stone 3 Goliaths: farmer poverty, unhealthy foods, and climate change.@517

INSPIRED! With Advices From World Organizations, Now P3 Billion Total Funds To Philippine Hog Raisers To Defeat That Dreadful Asian Swine Fever (ASF), With Zero Interest Up To P15 Million Individual Loans Offered

Philippines: With what do you defeat an enemy like the dreaded Asian Swine Fever (ASF) that at its worst eliminated 1.7 million pigs? With foreign advices and local advances, an abundance of allotments included. Ask for help; help yourself.
(swine image from eCompareMo, ecomparemo.com)

Advice: Christine Cudis says (25 Jan 2022, “PH Cites Int’l Partners’ Help In Dealing With ASF,” PNA.gov.ph):

As it seeks to completely eradicate African swine fever (ASF), the Department of Agriculture (DA) (via its) Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI) said mentorship from international groups helped strengthen their programs.

BAI Director Reildrin Morales said groups such as the World Organization for Animal Health, Food & Agriculture Organization, and agencies under the Canadian and Spanish governments (have been) helpful in (consultations) on how to effectively end ASF.

Lessons learned, the DA has launched Bantay ASF sa Barangay (BABay ASF) and the Integrated National Swine Production Initiatives for Recovery & Expansion (INSPIRE) Program, implemented by the National Livestock Program.

On 17 Jan, the French government committed to the DA assistance in securing a vaccine against the ASF.

In the meantime, Eireene Jairee Gomez says (07 Jan 2022, “PH Winning Against ASF, Says DA,” Manila Times, manilatimes.net):

The Department of Agriculture (DA) said the Philippines is on track towards eradicating the dreaded African Swine Fever (ASF)… In a virtual briefing, DA Assistant Secretary Noel Reyes reported that the ASF virus is (now only) present in remaining 43 barangays in 16 municipalities as of end-December.

Mr Reyes said, "Lumiliit na po (It is decreasing). We're winning the war against ASF. Tulong-tulong lang po iyan (It's all a matter of cooperation)."

In May last year, President Rodrigo Duterte issued Proclamation 1143, placing the country under the state of calamity for 1 year due to ASF, unless earlier lifted.  Pro1143 allows local government units (LGUs) to set aside part of their Local Risk Reduction & Management Fund (calamity fund) for ASF.

Additionally, through the Agricultural Credit Policy Council (ACPC), the DA has assigned P300 Million for lending to backyard and semi-commercial hog raisers in “green zones” (ASF-free areas).

ANN says in total, the DA has allotted P3 Billion to revive the swine industry, with P1.2 Billion for BABay ASF, and P872 Million for INSPIRE (Author Not Named, 21 Sept 2021, “DA-ACPC Increases Loan Fund For Hog Raisers To P800M, Upping Swine Recovery Efforts To P3B,” DA.gov.ph). INSPIRE is a 3-year repopulation program. From 2021 to 2023, the DA targets to produce 440,563 breeders and 10.5 Million finishers.

ACPC Director Jocelyn Badiola says eligible borrowers include individual, start-up, and semi-commercial swine raisers (SCSR), small enterprises, and farmers’ cooperatives and associations (FCAs). An individual can borrow up to P 300,000, start-up P1 M, SCSR P3 M, and small enterprises and FCAs P15 M. The loans have zero interest, and are payable up to 5 years.

All in all, for the pork that I love, the DA has me INSPIRED!@517

“The Francis Effect” – Can We Catholics Save The World From Its Destructive Preferences For Consumer Products Causing Climate Change? This Francis Says, “We Begin With Farmers!”

Filipinos on Facebook keep talking about the coming May elections, especially the next President of the Philippines. They hardly talk about Climate Change that have spawned violent storms causing many deaths and much destruction in the country. Being ignored is Pope Francis’ encyclical “Laudato Si” (“Praise Be To You, My Lord”) for Catholics to act vs Climate Change. Much more Catholic than Americans, where is “The Francis Effect” among Filipinos?!

Meanwhile, for effect, this Francis will keep on writing about Primate Change for Climate Change – especially about how farmers can save much money in farming, and grow more healthy foods and earn more, at the same time Stop Climate Change!

The graph above shows Agriculture contributing only 10% of total greenhouse gases (GHGs). Numbers misleading, to say the least. That 10% should be 40% or more because chemical fertilizers and chemical pesticides are produced and handled from start to finish of 84% total GHGs: Transportation 29%, Electric Power 25%, Industry 23%, and Commercial 7%.

In 2015, Pope Francis issued the encyclical “Laudato Si’, MI’ Signore” (Praise Be To You, My Lord), which called on Roman Catholics to “Care for Our Common Home.” He was calling us to decrease energies spent on transportation, electricity, industry, and commerce.

In 2016, a year after the encyclical, I blogged my essay “BIAG Economics: Brand-New Intellectualization of Agriculture” (14 April 2016, Primate Change, Blogspot.com), where I called for:
No chemical fertilizers.
No organic fertilizers.
No pests.
No pesticides.
No drought.
Highest yields.
Least cost total.
Water conserved.
Plant anytime.
Beautiful view.
Beautiful insects to watch.
Pleasant weather around.
Greenhouse gases avoided.

By “No organic fertilizers” I was referring to the way I prepared organic surface mulch that I now call Weeds-Enriched Agriculture Layup (WEAL) – it’s not fertilizer per se but the start of regenerative agriculture, where the weeds return soil fertility naturally, with the farmer initiating the process.

Note the compound word in the process: “Weeds-Enriched Agriculture Layup.” Weeds-enriched – my brainchild, improving on American gentleman farmer Edward H Faulkner’s “trash farming” procedure. I read that process in his book Plowman’s Folly published by the University of Oklahoma Press in 1943 (oupress.com) – I discovered it 1965-66 at the open shelves of the library of UP Los Baños. Creative, I have always been a wide reader.

Later, I reinvented Faulkner’s “trash farming” process by starting with a Howard rotavator, L blades cutting down to only 2-3 inches – no packing of the soil. Guy Machinery says (“Selecting Blade Type,” 2016, guymachinery.com): “L blades are… designed to fit a constant depth across the full width of tillage…” The rotavator cuts soil and weeds (and crop refuse if present) simultaneously and mix them within the same rotary motion; as it goes, it leaves an organic mulch evenly spread over the field. The rotavator creates & applies the would-be organic fertilizer automatically!

Thus, to fight Climate Change, farmers should be armed with rotavators whose field use I have endowed The Francis Effect!@517

Zero Greenhouse Gases Within 1 Year – How We Roman Catholics In This Tiny Island In The Pacific Can Show How To Defeat Climate Change Without Leaving Our Villages!?

Saturday, 05 Feb 2022, Philippine Inquirer came out with the editorial “The Bishops’ Bold Move” while there was no news on such concern from any other religious group. And from “higher educational institutions” (HEIs)? No news from HEIs either!

(images: “Bishop pulling the plug” from Inquirer.net, ”Laudato Si” from ICN, indicatholicnews.com, “Philippines” from Shutterstock.com)

And, as far as I know, I am the only journalist in the world who has called for the complete cessation of Chemical Agriculture and institutional initiation of Organic Agriculture by my country. Actually, I did that almost 6 years ago yet! (Read my essay, “BIAG Economics: Brand-New Intellectualization of Agriculture,” 14 April 2016, Primate Change, Blogspot.com.

The Bishops are not talking about the Science of Climate Change – rather, they are talking about the Conscience of Climate Change.

Just last week… the plenary assembly of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) adopted a stance that would surely prove controversial and perhaps even put in peril the Church’s financial security. The bishops, headed by CBCP President Bishop Pablo Virgilio David, decided that henceforth local churches would no longer accept donations from enterprises that are “destructive” to the environment, such as fossil fuel production, mining, and logging. The CBCP statement also urged Church organizations to withdraw, “not later than 2025,” Church resources from banks and other financial institutions (that are) “without clear commitments... to divest from fossil fuels.”

Catholics making History!

The policy adopted by the CBCP, the bishops said, was in line with a 2019 pastoral letter encouraging divestment from industries destructive of the environment, and with Pope Francis’ 2015 encyclical “Laudato Si’, Mi’ Signore” (Praise Be To You, My Lord), which called on the faithful to “Care for Our Common Home.”

My recommendation as a Catholic is less directly combative but as effective, if not more so: For farmers to stop causing the generation of greenhouse gases (GHGs) from the chemical fertilizers and chemical pesticides they apply on crops season after season!

Go whole-hog organic!

My organic fertilizer comes from what I call the process of weeds-enriched agriculture layup (WEAL) – how to do WEAL, see my essay, “For A Happier & Healthier Habitat Philippines! Triple A For Agriculture,” For A (Happier) Philippines! Blogspot.com. Unbelievably negligible cost!

In Sunday sermons, the CBCP should demand that priests relate to the conscience of Catholics the science of chemical agriculture because the hand-tossing of chemical fertilizers and hand-spraying of chemical pesticides are very personal – let the conscience bother the Catholic! The left hand knows what the right hand does!

Further, my advice to the CBCP is “to clear the conscience of Catholic farmers guilty of producing GHGs in their farms” by urging them every Sunday to shift 100% to organic fertilizers and organic pesticides – zero GHGs!

This tiny country in Southeast Asia will then show the big wide world how to defeat climate change and simultaneously solve farmer poverty as well as supply society with healthy foods!@517

In PH, The Internet Goes To School – Only In The Central Luzon State University (CLSU)!

In the Philippines, we have been under Covid19 lockdown starting February 2020 for 2 years, 730 days. A Facebook hound, I see the restrictions have not encouraged educators to travel the Information Superhighway to move the farmers in the manner of Pilgrims’ Progress. Congratulations to Central Luzon State University (CLSU) – of all the state colleges & universities (SCUs), you are #1!

But first, we have to teach the teachers. As an educator (BSA Ag Edu UP '65, Civil Service Professional 1964), a self-appointed warrior writer for agriculture, and an indefatigable blogger, I notice that our SCUs, including my alma mater UP Los Baños, have yet to come out with 100% Internet-based courses and/or educational modules for farmers. SCUs have been on an informational intellectual isolation!

I am excited the Commission on Higher Education (CHEd) and CLSU have come up with an Internet-initiated instructional program: “eFARM.” Merlina Hernando-Malipot says (“CHEd, Central Luzon State U Launch eFARM Academy,” 16 Feb 2022, Manila Bulletin, mb.com.ph):

To help education stakeholders, the Commission on Higher Education (CHEd) and the Central Luzon State University (CLSU) in Nueva Ecija launched the eFARM (Engaging Food and Agriculture Resources Management) Academy Program. Funded by the CHEd, the P15.4-million project aims to bring technologies and innovations to local and foreign students, life-long learners, farmers, local government units, and Philippine and foreign higher education institutions (HEIs).

CHEd Chair Popoy De Vera “emphasized that the eFARM Academy is part of the Education Tourism (EduTourism) initiative of CHEd that brings together HEIs, local government units (LGUs), and local communities to develop knowledge products, technologies, and activities to make local areas tourist destinations.” eFARM has a fund of P15.4 million from CHEd.

EduTourism – I can see that eFARM’s innovation is turning tourist spots into knowledge areas to attract visitors to stay and learn as well. This is an intellectual improvement of Farm Tourism.

On his part, CLSU President Edgar Orden says eFARM “gives emphasis on the immediate need of educating the world on matters that concern food security.” Project Leader of the eFARM is Gella Patria L Abella of the CLSU Institute for Climate Change & Environmental Management.

[Aside: I hope they discover how organic agriculture can maximize man’s power against climate change – they can read my 10 Feb 2022 essay “Organic Agriculture – Simultaneously Solving Farmer Poverty & Bad Health & Climate Change – Killing 3 Global Goliaths With 1 Stone!” For A (Happier) Philippines! Blogspot.com.]

Eloisa A Mariano says (26 Jan 2022, “CLSU Launches eFARM Academy Website,” clsu.edu.ph) there are 2 projects of the eFARM: “eGROW” and “eKitchen.” Project Leaders are Maria Adrielle S Estigoy (eGROW) and Celyrah Castillo (eKitchen).

Ms Eloisa says Renato Reyes, CLSU Vice President for Academic Affairs, says that eFARM “aims to offer and transfer technologies developed by CLSU.” The technologies in eGROW include aromatic and hybrid rice, organic onion, indoor vertical farming, aquashade system, mushroom, goat, and zero-waste pig farming.

Ms Maria Adrielle says:

“We will make agricultural education more accessible, so that everyone (can get) on board the digital express.”@517

My Intellectual Shift From Being Creative-Critical To Creative-Cheerful, Now Dedicated To Communication For Regenerative Agriculture

Since 16 April 1975, the first day I worked for the Forest Research Institute and on to become founder & Editor in Chief of its 3 major publications – monthly newsletter Canopy, quarterly technical journal Sylvatrop, and quarterly popular magazine Habitat – in the last 47 years up to 11 days ago as I write this, 10 Feb 2022, I have been simultaneously creative & critical; that is, if I disagreed with you, I would point out your error in logic – that wasn’t very nice, was it? What took me so long?!

How creative-critical has Frank A Hilario been? In the Dec 1980 issue of Habitat, I came up with an original theoretical paper titled “Development, The Eternal Spiral Staircase” (16 pages, 93-108), with which I presented a new theory I called Communication for Development (ComDev). Though I did not directly state it, this was clearly in opposition to the prevailing Development Communication (DevCom) paradigm of the UP College of Agriculture (now UP Los Baños) – obvious in the acronyms. I could have come up with another name and acronym to avoid what looked like an insult. [Thankfully, I have come up with the new concept-term Communication for Village Development 2021 (CoViD21); see my essay, “Regenerative Thinking… Regenerative Agriculture In The Philippines,” 26 Nov 2021, Primate Change, blogspot.com]. Meaning, I rethought my creative-critical self only 2+ months ago. But never too late to be nicer – and bigger!

More than 1 week ago, 11 Feb 2022, I created this new blog, For A (Happier) Philippines! (blogspot.com) where you find this essay, to remind me always to be of cheer even in the midst of uncertainty or displeasure. Thus, I will remain creative, unwelcome my own criticism, and welcome cheerfulness in saying something about anything.

Note the image above; the date is “17 September” and when I checked my image files, the year was 2019 – it was one of the many images accidentally collaged by my Windows 10. Why is that date important? It’s the birthday of this Virgo.

Everything is turning up roses!

Note also the time: 3:13, or 13 minutes after 3 in the morning – I took that photograph so, yes, I usually work very late at night and wake up very early. (I set my Windows 10 to military style of telling time of 24 hours, 0-24, midnight to midnight; if it were 3:13 PM, it would have instead said the time was “15:13.” I am meticulous – that is one of the characteristics of a Virgo. (And yes, Angel Numbers says “313” means “that your life has the potential to be better. You need to boost your self-esteem” – Erica Jensen, Ipublishing.co.in.)

So, from now on, with a symbolic 3-leaf green seedling on hand, I will offer mostly happy choices, mostly on the broad subject of what is now known as Regenerative Agriculture – with emphasis on Organic Farming.

And oh yes, I sometimes talk politics, but I always make sure I do it to promote agriculture. For a Happier Philippines – via a Happier Organic Agriculture!@517

Organic Cities! PH Gardens Growing Healthy Foods For Urban & Peri-Urban Dwellers

Healthy foods come from healthy soils and healthy fertilizers from healthy hands – even the cities & communities around should be able to grow healthy crops for themselves.

For such a public purpose, led by Agriculture Secretary William Dar, the PH Department of Agriculture (DA) has partnered with the private sector. Jed Macapagal says on Wednesday, 16 Feb 2022, the Urban Farmers Sustainability Concepts Organization, Urban Greens, and International Institute of Rural Reconstruction (IIRR) signed each with the DA a Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) “to scale up the implementation of the Urban and (Peri-Urban) Agriculture Program in the country” (18 Feb 2022, “DA, 3 Firms Promote Urban Farming,” Malaya, malayaph.com).

The news report does not state it, but after reading about the 3 DA partners in grime, I say:

The urban farms & gardens agreed upon are going to use 100% organic growing methods to cultivate crops. You cannot get healthier foods than that!

Mr Macapagal says:

Secretary William Dar said the agreements signed Wednesday will encourage sustainable crop production by establishing more community gardens while also pushing for safe, available, accessible and affordable foods to households and communities.

The Urban Farmers group is “currently constructing a community farm in Bonifacio Global City to support poor communities near the development (area).” Urban Greens, already managing an indoor farm in Makati City, “aims to expand the use of hydroponic systems to produce cleaner and fresher vegetables.” Non-profit IIRR, based in Cavite, “aims to build economic opportunities for rural people by making them (food) self-sufficient.”

Here is the pleasant/unpleasant scenario: Countryside farms are practicing chemical agriculture while the cities & communities around them are practicing organic agriculture. This is unprecedented, historical – The new farmers are teaching old farmers how to farm for their fuller pockets and people’s healthier bodies simultaneously!

According to Wikipedia (en.wikipedia.org), IIRR is into Biointensive Gardening (BIG). Kathee Mierzejewski says (undated, “Information On The Biointensive Planting Method,” Gardening Knowhow, gardeningknowhow.com) that in BIG, “they loosen up the soil at least twice as deep as normal gardening” so that the “roots can penetrate through the soil deeper” and they apply compost, “usually made up of dry leaves, straw, kitchen scraps, and clippings from the yard.” This makes the soil richer in nutrients, and able to grow more crops planted closer than usual (see above “How To” urban garden image from Balcony Garden Web, Balconygardenweb.com).

Mr Macapagal says:

Under the MoA, (the) DA, together with the Bureau of Plant Industry (BPI) will provide starter kits, which include seeds of common vegetables suited (to) the area, soil, and polyethylene bags, as well as technical assistance and urban agriculture module for the individual or household beneficiary and establishment.

DA will also utilize the barangay, community, school, university, and public office gardens as venues for hands-on training (on) various urban agriculture techniques. These areas will likewise serve as community gene banks to sustain their own production and planting materials for their constituents.

Noteworthy: The public sector needs the private sector’s help in cultivating community gardens growing healthy foods for everyone.@517

Young Voters, Here’s The 11th Commandment On Whom To Vote Wisely, Adding To Elegere’s List Of 10 Commandments & Injecting Candidate’s Concern For Farmer Poverty Plus Healthy Foods Plus Climate Change!

In the Philippines, are the young voters minding intelligently how to vote in the presidential May elections? How are they choosing their President?

In the Facebook post of 19 Feb 2022 (Ann Gatmaytan sharing), Alberto A Ramirez says:

The young, whose future will be most affected by this coming May’s presidential elections, will greatly affect the result of these elections with their votes. Some 32 million registered voters are in the age group of 18-40 years old, classified as the youth vote, which represent about half of the more than 65 million Filipino voters registered. This is why they have to be able to elect the right leaders for their country for that future to have any chance of becoming bright.

There’s hope for the Philippines from the young after all!

If you are senior or adult, you probably already have a presidential candidate you have chosen to vote for – so let’s worry about the youth, who make up half of the voting population. Let us help them make a wise choice for the next PH President!

What I have done is not to continue reading the opinions, mostly stated in the negative and sometimes vulgar terms, and instead look for a proper guide in selecting candidates, especially the President of my country. So I have googled, and I am lucky that the very first website to appear is titled, “10 Commandments On How To Vote Wisely” (Elegere, elegere.wixsite.com).

Elegere’s 10 commandments are:

#1 Know everything about each candidate.
#2 Scrutinize their credentials.
#3 Listen with an open mind.
#4 Focus on issues, not personal attacks.
#5 Never vote based on popularity.
#6 Analyze how they handle stress.
#7 Don’t fall for these so-called God-fearing politicians.
#8 Don’t just join the majority vote.
#9 Listen to critics but avoid haters.
#10 Vote (for) what our country needs, not (whom) you need. (edited)

Looking at the list, I can see that on Facebook, we violate all of Elegere’s commandments!

But I’m extremely glad for the 10^th: “Vote for what our country needs, not whom you need.” I believe that refers to the candidate’s Vision for the country. Now, since I am an agriculturist and know the problems that my country urgently needs to solve right now, I am injecting the 11^th commandment on whom to vote wisely, which is this:

Vote for whom who cares about poverty and health and the environment all at the same time!

Actually, I have been writing about how to simultaneously solve farmer poverty, ill-health from pesticide-contaminated foods, and climate change, a little over 2 weeks ago (see my essay, “Organic Agriculture – Simultaneously Solving Farmer Poverty & Bad Health & Climate Change – Killing 3 Global Goliaths With 1 Stone!” 10 Feb 2022, Primate Change, Blogspot.com). So, young voters, for the May elections, the 11^th commandment is:

#11 Vote for the Presidentiable who appreciates simultaneously Farmer Poverty and Healthy Foods and Climate Change!@517

“If Bongbong Marcos Sows The Fertile Seeds Of My ‘Zero-Based Farming’ Concept In The Minds Of Filipino Voters, I Am Sure He Will Harvest At Least 7 Million More Voters From Farming Families!” – Frank A Hilario

If Bongbong Marcos (BBM) wants to become President this May, my advice is for him to publicize support of "Zero-Based Agriculture" – endearing him to at least 7 million more voters from farming families!
(“From Zero to Hero” image from MyFonts, myfonts.com)

Ma Reina Leanne Tolentino says, “Think Tank Sees Big Win For BBM” (17 Feb 2022, Manila Times, manilatimes.net). With survey results, Stratbase ADR Institute President Dindo Manhit says BBM could win by either landslide or 30%.

To ensure victory, for BBM to go from Zero to Hero, my proposal is based on hard, visible evidence – for BBM to embrace what I call “Zero-Based Farming,” which is Organic, which begins with making organic fertilizer at near-zero expense – to astound & attract thrift-seeking voters of at least 7 million more!

With BBM’s support, we will establish twin demonstration plots at PhilRice headquarters in Muñoz, Nueva Ecija: Plot 1 chemical fertilizer, Plot 2 organic fertilizer, from weeds. This zero-expense fertilizer is my brainchild – happily, I will demonstrate how speedily and effortlessly weeds can instantly become fertilizer!

Vision

With President Marcos vigorously pushing, zero-based farming will solve 4 social problems:

(1)   Wipe out poverty of farmers.
(2)   Supply consumers with healthy foods.
(3)   Create a healthful climate in the Philippines.
(4)   Solve the problem of squalid city squatters!

This Vision of PH Prosperity is fact-based, realistic. Here’s

1. Realizing a Prosperous Society

Chemical fertilizers, which the farmers are fond of using today, are very expensive. No wonder farmers are struggling in their low incomes.

Yes, the farmer can make the zero-based organic fertilizer himself. Or he can buy it with easy loans from government via the Agricultural Credit Policy Council (ACPC).

2. Realizing Healthy Foods

Organic fertilizers grow crops bearing organic fruits, healthy for the human body. No chemical residues of anything.

3. Realizing a Healthy Society

In time, if every farmer in the Philippines used organic fertilizer, there will be zero greenhouse gases and occurrences and strength of storms and typhoons will be reduced – not to mention that the weather will become more pleasant.

4. Realizing a No-Squatters Society

I believe that once the farmers in the countryside become prosperous from their zero-based farming, the squatters in the cities will go back to their farming families in the provinces and gladly earn from healthy-wealthy little jobs.

Credibility

As a UPLB graduate, improving on American farmer Edward H Faulkner’s original trash farming, in 1965 I applied zero-based farming on our ricefield in Asingan, Pangasinan. My unschooled brother-in-law Inso Casasus applied the technique in his farm and out-yielded his neighbors for 50+ years! (He did not share the secret.)

Gladly with ACPC support, I will be Editor in Chief of a new magazine – Zero-Based Agriculture – showing everyone we mean business!

As for any and all charges against BBM breaking the law one way or another, justice should prevail – he is innocent until proven otherwise!@517

World Bank, Why Are You Not Offering To Lend $ Billions To Countries To Wage Regenerative Organic Agriculture For Climate Change Recovery!?

I'm reading about the World Bank lending to our Philippines “another $400M” for Covid-19 and I’m thinking, “World Bank, thank you.” More!

Ben O De Vera says (“PH Borrowing Another $400M From World Bank For Covid-19 Recovery,” 29 Jan 2022, Business.inquirer.net):

The World Bank will lend the Philippines $400 million to pursue “policy reforms” for sustainable recovery from the health and socioeconomic ills inflicted by the Covid-19 pandemic. Documents on Friday showed the forthcoming development policy loan (DPL), a form of budgetary support financed by the World Bank for borrowers’ reform agenda, would be approved by the Washington-based lender during its fiscal year 2023, which technically starts in the middle of this year.

The World Bank must have much confidence in my country the Philippines because, as Mr De Vera lists them, there are 11 World Bank DPLs already upcoming:

$600M 4Ps (Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program);
$250M Mindanao transport connectivity improvement project;
$200M second financial sector reform development policy financing;
$178M multisectoral nutrition project;
$150M sustainable, inclusive and resilient tourism project;
$140M Agus-Pulangi hydropower complex rehabilitation Project 1;
$110M teacher competitiveness and competencies enhancement project;
$100M alternative learning system project;
$100M digital transformation project;
$100M Mindanao inclusive agriculture development project.

That gives a total loan of $1.928B for the Philippines. That list of 11 projects then gives me an idea, a 12^th program, in Agriculture:

Add $157M for Organic Agriculture Philippines (OA.ph) for my country to fight climate change – afterwards, the PH will become the model of the world in Primate Change for Climate Change!

Let the Agricultural Credit Policy Council (ACPC) handle the funds; with ACPC approval, I will volunteer for OA.ph. With a science institution; we would create a Knowledge Bank on OA plus training materials – with friendly language to help non-technical persons with the science.

No more chemical fertilizers (CFs)! What to do with farmers? Provide them easy loans via farmer cooperatives – my favorite farmer groups – so that farmers can purchase and/or concoct their own organic fertilizers (OFs) and store them as necessary. Thus, their OFs will be much cheaper than the CFs – and since OFs do not produce greenhouse gases (GHGs), they are excellent as a direct device to fight climate change!

Outside my country the Philippines, Jennifer Chait has a good list in favor of OA (20 Nov 2019, “How Organic Farming Benefits The Environment,” The Balance, Thebalancesmb.com); unedited for grammar consistency, here is Ms Jennifer’s list:

1.     Reduced exposure to pesticides and chemicals;

2.     Organic farming builds healthy soil;

3.     Combatting erosion;

4.     Fighting the effects of global warming;

5.     Organic farming supports water conservation and water health;

6.     Discouraging algal blooms;

7.     Supporting animal health and welfare;

8.     Organic farming encourages biodiversity.

World Bank, that’s where your $157M OA.ph loan to the Philippines will go! OA.ph will reduce to Zero (0) the emissions of GHGs, as well as support animal and human healths, not to mention biodiversity. Nowhere could you find a loan applied as multi-productive as this!@517

I Writer See Leni Robredo President & Leading National Primate Change Vs Climate Change, Raising PH Up Regenerative Development!

With wide-ranging public corruption and widespread private poverty, my country the Philippines should now forsake Sustainable Development and pursue Regenerative Development nationwide!

(image of lady with vibrant seedling growing on rich earth from Producers Market, Producersmarket.com)

Ms Leni must save her country from itself! Here is 16-time Palanca Awards winner Jose Dalisay with a poem of encouragement for Ms Leni in the form of a tribute to her husband Jesse Robredo who was a shining exemplar in public service, who served handsomely his country from being Mayor of Naga City to Secretary of Interior & Local Government under President Noynoy Aquino.

Mr Robredo died in the crash of a light airplane in 2012. So, Mr Dalisay’s poem is both a tribute to Jesse and Leni (poem & picture from a Valentine’s Day Facebook sharing by Milwida Sevilla-Reyes). The original title of the poem was “Jesse’s Poem” but which I thought was uninspired and uninspiring; so, following literary tradition, I assigned the very first line as title:

If This Was What I Died For

If this was what I died for
Let no one grieve.
When wife became widow
She could not believe
That hurtful accident could make
Of loss a boundless gain
And of my bones a pillow
To dream away the pain.
If this was what I died for
Then I live on.
My adjourned crusade
Shall now be won.
Between the two of us we knew
This was always she –
The one to crush a rock in hand
To set the jewel free.
If this was what I died for
Let us rejoice.
The mother of our children
Has found her voice
Singing neither lullabies
Nor dirges for the dead
But battle hymns of love and hope
For the armies to be led.

Mr Robredo lives on in the person of his wife Ms Leni who lives for her country, our country.

My adjourned crusade shall now be won.

The Crusade for Good Government. This is reflected in the many mini projects of Ms Leni with private funds, as she is denied public funds by the President, and with the consistent achievement by the Office of the Vice President of the international ISO 9001: 2015 certification for quality management systems, obtained in 2017 and again in 2020. Honesty & integrity.

Between the two of us we knew  
This was always she –
The one to crush a rock in hand
To set the jewel free.

Husband & wife always knew wife would one day set the captives free, from public corruption and private poverty.

Agriculture is the #1 industry in the Philippines. Today, we cannot ignore climate change, and within Agriculture lies our salvation from this global/national threat. Therefore, exercising the art of communication for development, I now say to would-be President Leni Robredo: “To save the Philippines, let us forsake the Un/Sustainable Development that we are currently following, and instead undertake & uphold Regenerative Development¸ where there must be Heart in the Art, especially in Agriculture!”@517

For A Happier & Healthier Habitat Philippines! Triple A For Agriculture

To continue my new series of Happy Agriculture that is dedicated to solving 3 problems in 1 – Farmer Poverty, Bad Health, and Climate Change – today I have a complete picture that I will call “Triple A Agriculture:”

A¹, Organic Agriculture
A², Regenerative Organic Agriculture
A³, Weeds-Enriched Agriculture Layup

A¹, Organic Agriculture (OA)

For health reasons, OA is the most popular process of growing crops with/without livestock. You can prepare your soil enricher such as the fermented plant juice (FPJ). You can also produce organic fertilizer such as vermicast, using earthworms. You can also use indigenous microorganisms (IMO) in coming up with your organic fertilizer. FPJ, vermicast & IMO, you can all make them yourself.

A², Regenerative Organic Agriculture (ROA)

Sustainable Development is no longer enough for me – it supports agriculture that produces greenhouse gases (GHGs). ROA produces healthy foods and zero unhealthy GHGs!

According to the Climate Reality Project (CRP), according to Rodale Institute, ROA is one that “improves the resources it uses, rather than (destroys) or (depletes) them” (02 July 2019, “What Is Regenerative Agriculture?” Climaterealityproject.org). Destruction & depletion of resources happen under chemical or conventional agriculture. It was Robert Rodale, son of American organic agriculture pioneer JI Rodale, who came up with the term & concept of “regenerative organic agriculture,” which goes “beyond simply ‘sustainable.’” I agree.
(regenerative farm soil image from Green Living, Greenlivingpdx.com)

Also from the CRP:

With the use of cover crops, compost, crop rotation and reduced tillage, we can actually sequester more carbon than is currently emitted, tipping the needle past 100% to reverse climate change.

A³, Weeds-Enriched Agriculture Layup (WEAL)  

The name is my invention; the origin of WEAL is trash farming as described by Edward H Faulkner, American gentleman innovative farmer whose 2 books, Plowman’s Folly and Soil Development opened my inquisitive mind to more intelligent and nature-based agriculture in the mid-1960s.

WEAL is soil-based, weeds-supported, naturally organic agriculture. To Mr Faulkner’s trash farming, I injected shallow rotavation as the very first step:

You pass the rotavator over the field with the blades cutting down shallowly, 2-3 inches only, so that soil and weeds and/or crop refuse are chopped to pieces and mixed together in 1 rotary motion. That way, you are laying an organic mulch all over the field even as you are cultivating it! instantly & without hassle, and cheaply: a 2-in-1 cultivation technique. This is truly natural organic fertilizer; there is no need to cultivate worms (vermiculture) or indigenous microorganisms (IMO).

Actually, each of Triple A is regenerative, but only WEAL helps the entire field restore the wealth of the soil naturally, not the least rejuvenate the organisms that continue to generate natural fertility.

I say Triple A Agriculture solves Farmer Poverty, Bad Health, and Climate Change. With organic methods, the cost of preparing the soil is minimal; the food grown is naturally healthy; and there is zero production of greenhouse gases.

For regenerative agriculture, I recommend WEAL. Rotavating, our farmers will enrich the soil first and thereon, simultaneously enrich themselves and our society naturally!@517

Vision: PH As Vibrant Agribusiness Country With Millionaire Coops Actively Promoted By The Agricultural Credit Policy Council (ACPC)!

Vision is what those 5 frontrunning PH Presidentiables are not talking about, except somewhat Leni Robredo with her insistent shout – “Gobyernong Tapat, Angat Buhay Lahat” (Faithful Government, Fruitful Lives For All, my translation) – and that means somehow I will vote for her!

The national Vision is important – “Where there is no Vision, the people perish” (Proverbs 29:18). “Vision is the desired future” says Bright Future (“Aligning The Vision,” Brightfutureusa.org). I say:

“Vision is the exciting future!”

I’m looking at farmer loans as the device for that exhilarating future. Catherine Talavera has the latest pertinent news (13 Feb 2022, “DA Releases P5.4 Billion Agri Loans In 2021,” PhilStar Global, PhilStar.com):

The Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Credit Policy Council (DA-ACPC) released over P5.39 billion worth of loans to agricultural stakeholders last year, in line with its mandate of promoting effective and sustainable delivery of financial services to the countryside.

What is the ultimate aim, nationally? That is the Vision. 

Here is the Citizen’s Charter, 2020 (2^nd Edition) of the ACPC, saying:

Vision: The ACPC is the institution on agri-credit and program development that promotes a sustainable and effective delivery of financial services to the countryside.

Nope! That is Desired State of the Art – Vision should be Desired State of the Country brought about by Desired State of the Art.

My Vision for ACPC is:

Millionaire Coops!

The ACPC should actively engage in culturing agribusiness from cultivated fields to corporate tables, from inexpensive seeds to expensive spoons – via cooperatives in the countryside.

ACPC’s functions were further expanded in scope and coverage in relation to the implementation of nationwide access to a fast, convenient and affordable credit for small farmers and fisherfolk which is ACPC’s sole responsibility…

Not simply releasing loans, not simply making credit available – The ACPC should be encouraging Millionaire Dreamers – especially the young!

Millionaire Coops? Millionaire Borrowers. ACPC has the history. Recruited by ACPC Director Jovita Corpuz, I produced the coffee-table full-color book The Filipino Farmer Is Bankable (8.5x11in, 142pp) on April 2012. During my photoshoots, I came to know a lady enabled by the ACPC to become a millionaire. Of her, I wrote (p39): “Daisy Duran learned to handle new credit successfully as a borrower of the DA-ACPC Direct Market Linkage Development Program.”
(Duran farm sign from Slideshare.net).

Life Lesson: The ACPC should be “Loan Paradise of the Philippines!” The ACPC should be aiming at assisting thousands more farmers in thousands more cooperatives to become millionaires. Thousand Millionaire Coops!

Ms Catherine says Secretary of Agriculture William Dar said about the 2022 ACPC report:

The DA-ACPC’s credit programs, such as the Kapital Access for Young Agripreneurs (KAYA), Agrinegosyo (ANYO), and SURE Covid-19, have helped beneficiaries across the country to recover from the damaging effects of the pandemic and other calamities.

The KAYA, ANYO and SURE Covid-19 programs are new – what happened to the old borrowers under old credit programs?

Never mind. Today, I encourage the whole of ACPC to encourage all old/new coop members to dream a millionaire’s dream: Millionaire Farmers!@517