“Masagana 2020” – Learning From Mr Marcos & Masagana 99

Today, Friday, 30 October 2020, some 48 years after Martial Law, someone sent me a Facebook PM on “‘Marcos’ M-99 A Failure’: Perfect Illustration Of The Yellow Mindset[1],” the column of Rigoberto D Tiglao that appears in the 03 June 2020 issue of the Manila Times.net. Now that I have read the whole column:

I am reminded where the farmers failed Masagana 99!
And I don’t want that to happen to the New PH Agriculture under Secretary of Agriculture William Dar.

(1)   Yes, Masagana 99 succeeded for PH rice farmers.

(2)   Yes, (some) PH rice farmers sabotaged Masagana 99!

Mr Tiglao says:

The claim that the dictator Marcos’ Masagana 99 (M-99) program was a total failure is an excellent example of the Yellows’ invented, Manichaean narrative of that era – that it was the country’s Dark Age, that absolutely nothing good came out of it.

Mr Marcos declared a land reform program, whereby all lands of 5 hectares or more owned by a single individual were put under control by the government.

In retaliation against the agrarian reform program launched by Marcos, landlords reduced, and even in some areas totally ceased, extending credit to their tenants. All these factors led to an unprecedented 20 percent fall in palay (unmilled rice) production in 1972.

Mr Marcos had to do something. Mr Tiglao says:

Marcos’ technocrats – principally his much-admired agriculture secretary Arturo Tanco… had to design and implement the M-99 program. It was not formulated out of the blue by academics but was based on Tanco’s experience as President of the World Food Council and (member of the board of trustees) of the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI).

Masagana 99 succeeded – I was in and out of UP Los Baños when that happened. Rice yields went up from 1.7 metric tons/ha in 1970 to the current 4 MT/ha.

It was a bold experiment that channeled from 1973 an estimated P4.5 billion (P240 billion in today’s value) in loans at concessional rates to small farmers, for them to adopt new rice varieties and technology. It was the first such massive credit program for small farmers in our country, which even socialists would hail as it meant a transfer of financial assets to the poorest sectors to be used for production.

Aye, and there’s the rub!

I was a member of the Jaycees in Los Baños in those years, and we were hearing true stories of:

educated people taking advantage of Masagana 99 loans, borrowing for 1 farm and not paying back; then borrowing for a 2^nd farm and not paying back that 2^ndloan either, etc.

And that happened all over the Philippines, so Masagana 99 failed after it succeeded.

The banks had so much money that you got the loans you wanted if you captured their hearts.

Today, I recommend Masagana 2020, emphasizing National Renewal. More the Heart.

Already there is so much money waiting for borrowers for agriculture that I want to tell the Du30 Government to Please Be Careful With Your Heart!@

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[1]https://www.manilatimes.net/2020/06/03/opinion/columnists/topanalysis/marcos-m-99-a-failure-perfect-illustration-of-the-yellow-mindset/729063/?fbclid=IwAR3Z6Y0nCzFGSdMRFdUbMs6xAgkwYhh3uQloh6ZN6PpSlRWV0I0Bd55C8hE

Lesson From Rabiya Mateo – If You Know You Are Good, Focus On Winning. Now, Let Losers Focus On Whining!

Some contestants claimed loudly that 
Miss Iloilo Rabiya Mateo did notdeserve 
to be the new Miss Universe Philippines.

Grapes.

I write to prove to you that she
well deserved the title!

The Miss Universe Philippines finals was held 25 October 2020 in Baguio City at the Baguio Country Club (ANN, 27 October 2020, “Rabiya Mateo Addresses Post-Coronation Intrigue: 'I Need To Focus On My Real Goals'[1],” Rappler.com). During the event, there was zero audience, following lockdown protocols. In a TV 5 interview with MJ Marfori aired Monday, 26 October, “Rabiya defended herself and said the controversies were painful, but she decided to take the high road.”

At the end of the day, this is a competition. And being the bigger person in the picture, I need to understand where they are coming from. That’s what a queen should do and (how she) should act.

She understands that when you aim high and fall short, you feel frustrated – and you look for excuses.

And naintinidhan ko naman po (And I understand them), but at the end of the day, I need to focus myself on my real goals – which (are) to win and bring honor to my country.

Hello Universe, here she comes!

The losing candidates – never mind their names and their number – were claiming “that questions were given to her in advance” – insinuating that that’s how she got her answers right and well. Ah, but Rabiya is a cum laude!

Jeline Malasig says (26 October 2020, “Alessandra De Rossi, Pageant Fans Want ‘Tea’ Spilled As Cryptic Posts Fan Controversy In Miss Universe Philippines 2020,” Interaksyon.philstar.com); in an Instagram story on Sunday, Miss Davao City Alaiza Malinao shared:

So deserving!!! Siya lang po nagme-makeup sa sarili niya. (She was alone applying makeup on herself.)

Habang naghihintay kami sa holding area, si Rabiya nasa gilid ‘yan nagpa-practice mag-Q&A! (While we were waiting at the holding area, Rabiya was on the side practicing Q&A!)

Nung prelims, rumarampa ‘yan sa hallway, sa labas ng holding area namin para mag-practice ng swimsuit walk niya. MASIPAG si Dzai. (During the prelims, she was doing the ramp at the hallway, outside the holding area, practicing her swimsuit walk. Dzai is hardworking.)

I have just googled, and found the appellation “Dzai” a revelation. “The… name Dzai stands for power, practicality, ambition, success, inspiration and discipline[2]” – Meaningslike.com). That’s our Miss Universe Philippines.

Rabiya did her best, and her best was good enough!

She worked hard! She’s fair! She did not cheat. She is a deserving winner! Congratulations @rabiyamateo our Miss Universe Philippines 2020! She is our queen!

I can’t say more after Miss Davao City Alaiza Malinao has spoken.

In that TV 5 interview, Rabiya said:

To be honest po, maybe because I wasn’t a frontrunner, so people didn’t expect me to win. But I know that I did everything and anything that I could during that night. And binigay ko talaga.(And I gave everything.)

A real queen gives everything!@517

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[1]https://www.rappler.com/entertainment/pageants/miss-universe-philippines-2020-rabiya-mateo-response-accusations?utm_medium=Social&utm_campaign=Echobox&utm_source=Facebook&fbclid=IwAR1CyY3yQNHe5KZuqrQkqifxOuRPWGXFpjL9U-EU3-1Dpmg8gVXq7Yxts6M#Echobox=1603790783
[2]http://www.meaningslike.com/lastnames/name-stands-for/dzai

Regenerative Farming – Enriching The Soil Enriching The Farmers

Where is regenerative agriculture in the above photograph? 

(image[1] from PhilStar.com)

The term was invented by the Rodale Institute of Pennsylvania in the 1980s (Heather Hanaman, “Why You Need To Know About Regenerative Agriculture[2],” Outsideonline.com). Miss Heather says:

It means that farmers rotate and diversify crops and animals, don’t poison lands and water, and minimize tilling and soil disruption. Over time, those practices have been shown to make land more resilient and more productive – and able to hold more carbon and water.

About crop rotation, my father Lakay Disiong used to plant mungbean after rice, because he knew that the legume will enrich the soil somehow.

Likewise diversification of crops: I know the growing of several crops and growing them simultaneously in a wide field results in the elimination of pests and diseases – balance of nature. You do not need to apply poisons because your crops are healthy.

Likewise raising crops & livestock at the same time: If there is enough animals raised, their manure can be used to fertilize the field.

Now, let us return our attention to the photograph above – the gentlemen are minding the cacao pods, talking on top of a layer of fallen leaves enriching the soil with organic matter.

How does the concept work? Miss Heather says:

Regenerative agriculture is a system of farming principles and practices that seeks to rehabilitate and enhance the entire ecosystem of the farm by placing a heavy premium on soil health with attention also paid to water management, fertilizer use, and more.

Soil health: If you add or allow organic matter such as leaves to accumulate on the soil, you grow a healthy soil that grows healthy crops – no need for fertilizers. If you have enough organic matter in your soil, you have enough soil moisture for your crops.

What are the principal techniques in regenerative agriculture? Miss Heather gives 4:

Conservation tillage. With minimum or no tillage, “farmers minimize physical disturbance of the soil, and over time increase levels of soil organic matter, creating healthier, more resilient environments for plants to thrive, as well as keeping more and more carbon where it belongs.”

Diversity. Miss Heather says: “Different plants release different carbohydrates (sugars) through their roots, and various microbes feed on these carbs and return all sorts of different nutrients back to the plant and the soil. By increasing the plant diversity of their fields, farmers help create the rich, varied, and nutrient-dense soils that lead to more productive yields.”

Rotation and cover crops. When you change crops and plant secondary crops in between rows, the roots of those crops “can infuse soils with more and more (and more diverse) soil organic matter.”

Minimal or no chemical pest control. When you practice crop rotation and intercropping at one time or another, there is a balance of natural lives in that area where, among other things, predators keep the population of pests in control.

Keep that soil rich naturally!

Miss Heather says,
“If you take care of your soil,
it will take care of you.”@517

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[1]https://www.philstar.com/other-sections/starweek-magazine/2017/08/05/1725526/sweet-taste-success
[2]https://www.outsideonline.com/2407410/what-is-regenerative-agriculture#close

When Sweet Corn Is A Sour Story – When Sweet Sorghum Is Sweeter!

Things fall apart. Tumumba halos lahat ng sweet corn namin. By batch sana ang harvest, a lot of them are still immature. (All our sweet corn plants went down. We were planning to harvest by batch.)

Today, Tuesday, 27 October 2020, here is Earwin Belen sharing a Facebook sharing by Tonio Flores, all below in italics, in Taglish, on a current crop that went down with that typhoon (not named) that got away (PH, exact location not stated).

Tonio, typhoons are realities we cannot ignore. If not now, then. (Tonio does not volunteer the size of the cornfield. It must be big because he is bothered by the damage.)

Proud pa naman kami sa production methods nito. We were very mindful of environmentally sound pest control methods, crop nutrition etc. That's more than two months worth of hard work and resources. (Too, we were proud of our production methods.)

Tonio, sometimes Mother Nature destroys our best works. “The best plans of mice and men.” The one environmental thing you were not mindful was the one that occurred.

This is farming for you, we are under the grace and mercy of natural forces.

Always, remember that! Now, what I learned years ago in Legaspi City when now Congressman Joey Salceda was declared Climate Champion by the United Nations, and we members of the Philippine Network of Environmental Journalists attended a climate change conference of government officials – is that there are 2 things we can do about climate change:

(1) adaptation – you change tactics; and
(2) mitigation – you reduce the losses.

Tonio, I don’t know how you are going to reduce your losses now – aside from collecting crop insurance. But I certainly have advice on adaptation:

Change your crop
to sweet sorghum!

You did not know but sweet sorghum can go down in a typhoon – then recover fully. PH sweet sorghum varieties came from India via the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics, ICRISAT, when now-Secretary of Agriculture William Dar was Director General. Mr Dar introduced sweet sorghum via Mariano Marcos State University in Batac. Tony Arcangel willingly planted the ICRISAT variety; I visited him in March 2012, and already he had 10 products, among them cookies, soap, syrup, vinegar and wine. Mr Tony is the President of Bapamin Enterprises. I suggest strongly that you correspond with him.

Next question is, how do we make sure that resilience is supported culturally and structurally and not to be left in the hands of our farmers only?

About resilience, or the “ability to recover quickly from illness, change or misfortune” (TheFreeDictionary.com), I recommend being a member of a multi-purpose cooperative. More importantly, connect with the Department of Agriculture, DA and find out what more assistances (plural) the DA can offer you under “The New Thinking for Agriculture” under Secretary of Agriculture William Dar.

Big plans for 2021, we're looking forward to ways we can work together. Production, education and new ways of engaging with food and farming.

Cooperation, Partnership – that’s The Spirit of the New PH Agriculture!@517

 

PH Rice Sufficiency & The Question Of Hybrid Rice

“The Philippines could be rice sufficient by 2020.”
That would have been via hybrid rice, 
but that Incredible Dream just died.

The romantic novel For Dreams Must Die was written by Zoilo M Galang[1] about PH national hero Jose Rizal and Leonor Rivera, his/her first love. They were cousins, and love was mercilessly killed – he went to Europe to study cultures other than Filipino, and her parents married her off to a foreigner, a railroad engineer. She died pining for his love; he died with love pining for his country.

For dreams must dieis the exact if unintended story of hybrid rice in the hands of the Hybrid Rice Development Consortium, HRDC, an organization attached to IRRI that “promotes innovation and access to new germplasm and information on hybrid rice technology[2].” Today, Monday, 26 October 2020, on my composite image above, on the HRDC webpage still appears “The Philippines could be rice sufficient by 2020” – the HRDC needs a magnificent new dream! (The HRDC also needs a damned good Editor and/or Webmaster.)

Not to worry – I am a dreamer myself. And so I am dreaming for HRDC to help provide and promote my country’s hybrid rice program to become rice sufficient by 2025, 5 years from now.

But hybrid rice cannot be just high-yielding;
it must be Q&Q, Quantity and Quality!

How will HRDC encourage Filipino farmers to plant more hybrid rice than ever? The HRDC experts will have to satisfy families’ demands for Q&Q: grain (appearance), cooking, eating, and nutritional.

I like my cooked rice grains with the following qualities (my guide here is the 21 April 2017 paper “Comparisons Of Cooking And Eating Qualities Of Two Indica Rice Cultivars[3]” (Indian Bashmati 385 and Chinese Hua Jing Xian 74), authored by Chinese rice scientists Nnaemeka Emmanuel Okpala et al and published online in Journal of Rice Research. So I learn we Asian rice eaters desire grains that when cooked have:

1.     extensive elongation, say 100%

2.     higher amylose content, which means better eating quality

3.     low pasting temperature, related to good cooking quality

4.     high viscosity, with grains having a better appearance

5.     bigger airspaces and more pronounced starch granules, requiring less water and resulting in faster cooking.

So, if you have those 5 qualities in your hybrid rice, the world of rice eaters will love you, first of all me!

But that is only as far as the Quality of the Rice Grain is concerned. What about the Quality of Life of the Rice Farmers?

The question of hybrid rice cannot be dissociated from the question of low net incomes of rice farmers. The PH Department of Agriculture must see to it that all rice farmers become entrepreneurial in their aim and actions: To mind their own business! But not at the expense of others.

Above all, the profits of the production of hybrid rice must be packaged in such a way that the poor rice farmers emerge from poverty into prosperity and remain there as long as they work!@517

 

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[1]https://trove.nla.gov.au/work/17331270
[2]https://hrdc.irri.org/about-us/
[3]https://www.omicsonline.org/open-access/comparisons-of-cooking-and-eating-qualities-of-two-indica-rice-cultivars-2375-4338-1000180.php?aid=88136

Rabiya Mateo Is Miss Universe Philippines – High IQ, Pretty Face, Pulchritudinous Body, Perfect Answer! And Heart Of Gold

Now then, I am 100% sure that the 
next Miss Universe proclaimed 
will come from the Philippines: 
Rabiya Mateo of Iloilo City.

High IQ – 
She is 24 years old, 5 foot 6, licensed physical therapist, and graduated cum laude (with honors) from the Iloilo Doctors Colleges[1] (Eton B Concepcion, manilastandard.net). She is Miss Iloilo 2020. Her name Rabiya means queen[2]; so she is the rare royalty with the high IQ. (above left image. with face masks[3] from Preview.ph, right image[4] from Rappler.com)

Pretty face –
Rabiya’s father is Indian, mother Ilongga (no names that I saw). Her dad left them many years ago, no reasons I can find, so I guess “Mateo” is actually the mother’s surname, for convenience. From the limited top-down view of a photo that Rabiya has shown, he looks good-looking, hence the beauteous daughter. How does a daughter grow up without a father figure? Well, Rabiya triumphed!

Pulchritudinous Body –
“Pulchritudinous” means “having great physical beauty” or “delighting the senses or exciting intellectual or emotional admiration[5]” – I did not say that! TheFreeDictionary.com did. For Rabiya, a perfect word.

Perfect Answer! –
To the question, “If you could create a new paper currency with the image of any Filipino on it, dead or alive, who would it be, and why?” she gave this perfect response (Bea Cupin, 26 October 2020, “Meet Rabiya Mateo, Miss Universe Philippines 2020[6],” Rapppler.com):

If I were given the chance, I would want to use the face of Miriam Defensor-Santiago. For those who don't know, she was an Ilongga, but what I admire about her is that she used her knowledge, her voice to serve the country, and I want to be somebody like her, somebody who puts her heart, her passion into action, and after all, she is the best President that we never had.

Heart of Gold – 
I can see now that Rabiya is going to acquire more knowledge and will use her Miss Universe voice to serve her country forever and ever – after serving the Universe 1 year, of course! She is going to be like the other distinguished Ilongga, Miriam, and put her knowledge, voice, heart and passion into action. She may even become the best Ilongga President we never had!

In fact, she has already started with the youth. Bea Cupin says (26 October 2020, “Meet Rabiya Mateo, Miss Universe Philippines 2020[7],” Rapppler.com):

During the preliminary interviews, Rabiya said the youth should “invest in (themselves),” particularly because of the noise that’s all too common both online and in real life. When you practice self-love, you get to know the right weapon in order for you to win life. I feel like right now I am ripe enough to win the competition because I've done everything that I could to become the phenomenal woman that I am," she said, without even skipping a beat.

I see Rabiya Mateo, Miss Universe Philippines, 
has 20-20 vision. She sees many things we don’t!@517

 

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[1]https://manilastandard.net/showbitz/celebrity-profiles/337036/standard-s-choice-miss-universe-philippines-fearless-forecast.html

[2]https://manilastandard.net/showbitz/celebrity-profiles/337036/standard-s-choice-miss-universe-philippines-fearless-forecast.html

[3]https://www.preview.ph/culture/10-facts-trivia-rabiya-mateo-miss-universe-philippines-2020?ref=article_feed_1

[4]https://www.rappler.com/entertainment/pageants/miss-universe-philippines-2020-top-5-question-answer-transcript?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&fbclid=IwAR2wSCiSbWAPilxR_NhTl6RAiWMUZUQdBBk8ytvx8wlPL7jm_e01x6iRzC0

[5]https://www.thefreedictionary.com/Pulchritudinous

[6]https://www.rappler.com/entertainment/pageants/things-to-know-rabiya-mateo-miss-universe-philppines-2020-winner

[7]https://www.rappler.com/entertainment/pageants/things-to-know-rabiya-mateo-miss-universe-philppines-2020-winner

“brainstarming” – A Creative Approach In Communication For Development In Agriculture

You want to learn creative thinking leading to creative writing? Or you want a different kind of Editor? Try me, original Ilocano aboriginal. This is a guru of 45 years speaking. This is one way I can celebrate my 80 years, plus 1 month, of being me, thank God!

Just read. Here’s the me you probably don’t know who can help you in your Journalism for Agriculture – read on, this is free!

Today, Saturday, 24 October 2020, this brainstorm has been triggered by the Facebook sharing of Bruno Martinuzzi, “Virtual Brainstorming Tips And Tricks[1]” (22 October 2020, MindTools.com). Too bad, in group brainstorming, Mr Martinuzzi differentiates virtual brainstorming from in-person brainstorming – that’s artificial.

I say, in brainstorming, there is a Team of a Group, and a Team of One. Me, I am a Team of One. And there is virtual proof of what I am saying about myself. Since 2005, I have created more than 100 blogs of different fields. If you will visit one of my blogs, Creative Thinkering, https://creativethinkering.blogspot.com, you can count 971 long essays published, with this tagline: “World’s creative genius online, most prolific writer of non-fiction.” And if you visit another blog, A Magazine Called Love, https://amagazinecalledlove.blogspot.com, you can count 2,293 essays published, with the tagline, “Frank H, World’s most highly original, creative writer online.” 3,264 essays in just 2 blogs – unbelievable!

Now, this new logo & expression is an original Frank A Hilario:
brainstarming
(above main image[2] from Wrike.com)

The basic working concept of brainstarming is that from Edward de Bono, Maltese genius, and he actually calls it the principle of “Po” – the explosive Power of exploiting a suggestion, including a ridiculous or out-of-this-world idea. When brainstorming, says De Bono, even a crazy suggestion is welcome – simply think through the suggestion and a light («) may appear to illuminate the beginning of a great idea next to that crazy one! Out of the blue.

Po. During a brainstorming, alone or with a group, virtual or in-person, any think is acceptable, if crazy;  you say “Po!” and it means, “Put on!” I have been using De Bono’s Po in the last 45 years and it has never failed me.

I am now 80 years old, and have blogged at least 4,000 long essays of at least 1,000 words each (totalling about 5,000,000 words) about knowledge in Agriculture and related fields as they may affect lives positively, especially among the poor farmers; and about creative communication for development –

Why have I not run out of things to say?

There is only 1 reason: brainstarming. (Not to mention dedication and stubbornness working for a single idea – emancipation from poverty of Filipino farmers and their families.)

My creative method, which I now refer to as “brainstarming,” I want to share with anyone interested and/or train online communicators for development in Agriculture. To start, email frankahilario@gmail.com an e-copy of your article, paper, presentation, brochure, or book, and my first complete advice will be free! Why? The pleasure will be mine – and that’s priceless!@517

 

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[1]www.mindtools.com/blog/virtual-brainstorming-tips-and-tricks/?utm_source=Facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=mtpage&fbclid=IwAR2YMcn6IYx86gs3UdQJQtzhW4Edh4LTuXw6WI8oCp3_pt-8muasplRiMhY

[2]https://www.wrike.com/blog/techniques-effective-brainstorming/

Hybrid Rice Gives Farmers Higher Gross Income Of P116,000/Ha – Where Is The Problem There?

Above are scenes in the Central Luzon Hybrid Rice Derby Field Day & Farmers’ Forum held 15 October at the Central Luzon State University, CLSU, campus in the Science City of Muñoz in Nueva Ecija (DA Central Luzon Facebook sharing 15 October 2020 by Rica Geda Salas). A total of 7 seed companies participated: Bayer, Bioseed, Corteva Agriscience, LongPing, SeedWorks, SL Agritech and Syngenta:

The activity (aimed) to promote to the rice farmers the various cultural management (designs) and practices and the importance of using hybrid rice seeds in achieving a higher production volume as part of the (DA) Rice Resiliency Project of (the) Plant, Plant, Plant Program.

During the Forum, DA Regional Field Office III Director Crispulo Bautista Jr said that during the dry season, average yields were: inbred rice 5.6 tons/ha, hybrid rice 7.8 tons/ha, a big difference of 2.2 tons.

Now then, are hybrid farmers earning much more to make them happier than inbred farmers? Last year, 40 rice farmers in Butuan City served as cooperators of the DA Caraga Hybrid Rice Model Farm Project (ANN, 07 April 2020, “Hybrid Rice Model Farm Increases Yield Of Butuan Farmers[1],” PIA.gov.ph). Butuan farmer Sammy Barneso said his gross income for inbred was P90,000 and for hybrid P116,000, or a difference P26,000., which he said was “a big help for us.” Ah, dear reader, you must note that that P26,000 is gross, not net.

Now, the production cost is P25,000 for inbred rice and P35,000 for hybrid rice. So, you have a problem there with data reality! (coin-rice-mini-hut image[2] from Dreamstime.com)

So, I am not surprised that “Only A Minority Of Farmers Prefer Hybrid Rice Seed[3]” (28 January 2019, Reicelene Joy N Ignacio, BusinessWorld.com). The factors considered in adoption are:

According to IRRI, in choosing a rice variety, farmers consider grain quality, price at market, optimum yield potential and stability over seasons, maximum tillering capacity for weed competition, resistance or tolerance to major diseases, insects and other stresses, the right growth duration to match the season, and resistance to lodging under normal management.

Our farmers are picky in choosing the rice variety to plant!

That paragraph I quoted above is loaded. “Grain quality” is always a factor in choosing a rice variety – I know because I am a farmer’s son. Farmers plant a new variety with the hope they are going to be the first to taste the sweet fruits of their labor – if that variety tastes that nice, pride in being first!

“Resistance or tolerance to major diseases, insects and other stresses” – Filipino farmers would rather plant and then forget it, except to visit the field on calendared schedule for fertilizing, spraying against pests.

“Resistance to lodging under normal management” – I know that “under normal management” usually means to the Filipino farmer occasional and not regular visits to the ricefield. Ha ha.

Because? The Filipino farmer does not
really take pride in being a farmer.
Because? We have not helped him rise
from poverty to prosperity!@517

 

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[1]https://pia.gov.ph/news/articles/1038291

[2]https://www.dreamstime.com/rice-sack-coin-mini-house-isolated-white-background-muslim-concept-zakat-property-income-fitrah-zakat-rice-image182658390

[3]https://www.bworldonline.com/only-a-minority-of-farmers-prefer-hybrid-rice-seed/

DepEd, You Can Teach Better Modular Teaching – If You Listen To My Distance Teaching!

Modular Learning is Out Of This World!

My professional concerns, the
State Colleges & Universities,
are not alarmed – and they should be.
This is a teacher speaking, UP ’65.
(“Out Of This World[1]” image from Amazon.com)

Most of all, the Department of Education,
DepEd, hell-bent on Modular Learning,
should now wake up to the Truth Dragons
stalking students, male & female!

“Now that school and home are the same place” – to change that perspective, we have to change the way we teach.

Modular learning assumes that the home is just another classroom, if individual. So, modular requires that students react as in a normal class, and that is insane!

Modular is crazy! See the images above that I have composed. If you don’t see it at once, it works like this:

On her own, the first girl, the one in the image I superimposed with the title “Out Of This World,” enjoys chasing dragons & butterflies: Girl Blissful.

The second girl is intensely looking into the monitor of her laptop: Girl Bothered. She is Sophia Azcona, the author of the essay “A 17-Year-Old's Thoughts On Happiness During The Pandemic” (20 October 2020, Rappler.com). Lost in thoughts. Thinking these:

I'm the type of person that feels more comfortable
at school than at home.... But now that school
and home are in the same place, my mind,
heart, and soul are confused.

Confused! And I can tell from her whole essay that she is an extraordinary girl. She would be a great writer, but not a great learner – what with the counter-productive Modular Education she is going through.

My personal philosophy helps me get through the hard times, but the lack of physical affection, spontaneity, and connection with teachers and friends does take a big toll.

At home (school), you are alone even if you are not; you are connected even if you are not!

School (is) now taking up most, if not all of a student's time.

If I were a student, I would not mind being preoccupied with school even while at home, provided what I’m doing is not mechanical. And so I believe:

DepEd teachers should be Teaching Thinking
in any and all subjects.

Here’s a surprising thinking example from Agriculture – Planting rice for higher yield using a simple technique: Growing more tillers.

Tillers produce the panicles that produce the palays that produce the harvest – the more tillers your rice seedlings have all over the field, the higher your cavans per hectare.

Do: Transplant single seedlings equidistant from each other, allowing each to grow more tillers.

The Tiller Lesson embedded in those 43 words above, agriculturists know! But they have yet to teach it. The text is from the book in my head – I doubt you can find it in any other teacher’s head. Like student Sophia’s, this teacher’s mind works in freedom.

Thinking freedom is beautiful!

Yes: Think!

The Beauty of Thinking is what should
be taught in any subject in school,
especially when your school is your home!@517

 

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[1]https://www.amazon.com/Out-This-World-Surreal-Carrington/dp/0062441094

“Always Tired & Always Poor” – The PH Farmers Whom Maeca Czarina Pansensoy Of Rappler Believes She Knows

Young Miss Maeca Czarina Pansensoy – a graduate of Ateneo de Manila University in Business Management,with Honors (from LinkedIn) – wrote Monday, 19 October 2020, an opinion piece, published by the independent-minded journalist group Rappler.com, titled “Palaging Pagod At Palaging Hirap: The Story Of The Philippine Farmer” (my translation: Always Tired & Always Poor). Awkward.

I call it “awkward” because it purports, without saying so, to summarize the life & times of Filipino farmers beginning we don’t know when – Miss Maeca does not preface title and first sentence with a time period of years. And she summarizes such life & times in only 460 words including title!?

I think her first paragraph says it all for her thesis:

Our farmers struggle with a history of injustice. They have been forced to till land they do not own, sell their produce at prices unequal to their labor, and carry a whole sector on their already aching backs – for a country that has forgotten to listen to them properly. As our country strives to move forward, we have forgotten to bring its foundation along.

“Our farmers struggle with a history of injustice.” Yes, Miss Maeca, the Filipino farmer has been forcedto cultivate the field he does not own, otherwise where will he & his family get their wherewithal?

They have been forced to “sell their produce at prices unequal to their labor.” Tell you what, Miss Maeca, please understand that:

(1)   Low prices are the dictates of the market, and farmers need to understand and appreciate that in order to help themselves!

(2)   Additionally, the farmers’ labors are uneconomic, or wasteful of resources, such as of seeds, fertilizers, chemicals, and irrigation water. I know all that personally, as I am a farmer’s son and BSA major in Ag Education graduate of UP Los Baños, 1965.

(3)   “And carry a whole sector on their already aching backs” – Ha! You produce food for those who cannot; now, why are you not well-compensated? Aside from your wasteful habits as a farmer, the merchants take advantage of you! (image of “empty pockets[1]” from Noun Project)

So, as a farmer, you have 2 enemies: Yourself and the Merchant! Do you recognize yourself there? Do you understand that you are a profligate farmer – wasting resources when you should not?

(4)   “For a country that has forgotten to listen to them properly.” If you are referring to the activist farmers, Miss Maeca, yes, we have not been listening to them properly, thank God. You know why? They’re wrong!

Miss Maeca, your farmers insist on land ownership as principal requirement for productivity. How many farmers are rich because they are landowners?

Instead of ownership, our Secretary of Agriculture William Dar is propagating the idea of farm consolidation (see my essay, “A Revolution Of Our Times! Landownership Out, Bandownership In[2],” 29 September 2020, Brave New World). Why? Economies of scale.

Miss Maeca, sometimes one can achieve success alone. But much sweeter it is when many succeed together!@517

 

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[1]https://thenounproject.com/term/poverty/

[2]https://bravenewworldph.blogspot.com/2020/09/a-revolution-of-our-times-landownership.html

Du30 And His Huge Embarrassment Of Riches

Is Du30’s record now richer with millions more of drug users listed?

Yes, and No. About PH President Rodrigo Roa Duterte’s War On Drugs, this time the war has the wrong numbers! (Bad Data[1] image from Amazon.com)

Sofia Tomacruz of Rappler.comhas a story of data that are crazy the very first time you read them, as they don’t add up and the explanation given is quite another public embarrassment!

Citing what he said were government figures, (President Rodrigo) Duterte said in a recorded address, “I’d like to report to you that according to the…DDB, Dangerous Drugs Board, there are about 167 million or two out of 100 people, Filipinos aged 10 to 69, (who) are current users of drugs.”

The number of Filipino drug users has reached 167 million!

Archipelagic mistake, because there are only a little more than 100 million Filipinos as of July 2020. If 167 million were correct, it would mean every Filipino is a drug user, plus 67 million foreigners in this country who are also all into drugs!

Today Tuesday, 20 October, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque clarified that Duterte’s statement had been the result of a typographical error. “Typo lang po ‘yun (It was just a typo, Sir/Madam). It should be 1.67 million,” Roque said during a virtual address.

1.67 million had multiplied itself 100 times!

Whose fault was it? The writer’s error, because he did not check the facts. The copyreader’s fault, because he failed to spot the mistake. The TV broadcaster’s mistake, because he did not countercheck what he received for broadcasting. That was Malacañang’s blunder, because they did not watch first to be sure.

That pass-it-on faux pas is unforgivable! This is a much embarrassed world-class blogger and Editor In Chief speaking, Filipino.

The Dangerous Drugs Board is dangerous with figures, capable of magnifying them 100 times! Or are the DDB staff Lazy Juans or Juanas, too indolent to check their facts?

What now should Du30 do about the matter that embarrassed him without measure?

One: Du30 would fire the errant DDB staff who provided the wrong numbers – s/he was careless for her/his President!

Two: Du30 would from now on require that people check beforehand what he is about to broadcast to the Filipino people, especially when big data is involved. This one made all of us Filipino citizens drug users without our knowledge and consent!

Three: Du30 would make sure that charts and/or graphs are prepared and their data compared against each other to prevent another embarrassing broadcast or announcement.

Four: DDB would form an extra-careful communications team if only to serve the media meetings of Du30 concerning or not the War on Drugs.

Five: Why not a communications person to always check any Du30’s scheduled media release, being WFH?

Having said that, let me tell you how I incorrigible writer avoid such inaccuracies as wrong number cited: Without exception, carefully I read my drafts each at least 5 times a day at different times, so I can catch myself making a mistake like multiplying my data 100 times!@517

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[1]https://www.amazon.com/Bad-Data-Measure-Things-Metrics-ebook/dp/B07NCS43F5

National Development – Instead Of The Gender Agenda, Inclusive Approach

The Gender Agenda: 
Is Mexico another (developing) story?

My country PH is a matriarchal society; the voice of the eldest matriarch is especially heard. But not in agriculture, because this one is more science than spirit or soul. The above photograph, from Mariana Gallardo’s article “Rural Development Must Be Feminist Or It Cannot Be ” (04 October 2020, PRiME Training), displaying Mexican women harvesting rice, with someone backpacking a baby – I say shows only paid labor, not inequality.

Miss Mariana says, “To ensure sustainable rural development, it is essential that all rural development policies and programs (be) based on a gender approach.” I say, “Gender is a much limited view.” Following PH Secretary William Dar’s “The New Thinking for Agriculture,” it must be an inclusive approach. I say, “To ensure inclusive development, it is essential that all policies and programs be technically feasible, economically viable, environmentally sound, and socially acceptable.” Gender notwithstanding. (development image  from ecdpm.org)

Note that Miss Mariana is talking only of rural development, that is, artificially separating it from urban development – these are yours and these are ours. Mr Dar’s thinking is on inclusive development, where the poor are also actual actors for and accumulators of prosperity as society goes up the rungs fulfilling Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. 

Miss Mariana argues that Mexican women are responsible for almost half of rural production – this only means that many more women than men are employed in production. It is not sex that development is concerned with; I say it is the family, the smallest unit of society. That women contribute much to social progress needs only to be acknowledged, not rewarded in political power over or equal to men.

Miss Mariana says, “This (gender approach) would have a significant impact not only on the rights and quality of life of women but also on the fight against poverty and the reduction of hunger.”

I say, “The dichotomy between urban and rural is artificial, man-made.” Urban society is connected with, indeed, depends upon rural society – the urbanites get their food from the ruralites. Personally, I emphasize family rights, not men’s or women’s rights. The so-called Gender Gap is woman-made! – what is equal is not the same as equitable.

“In addition, 97% of rural women formally employed in agricultural and fishing activities carry out unpaid activities, mainly domestic chores, care work and community work.” Miss Mariana wants household activities, nursing and child care, even volunteer community work paid for one way or the other. But family responsibility cannot be measured – you do it for love of family, not money!

Miss Mariana says:

An equally alarming fact is that according to data from CONEVAL and INMUJERES approximately 90% of women living in rural localities suffer from some form of poverty or are vulnerable due to social deficiencies.

That's the problem with “sociologically” separating women from families – you do say “90% of women… suffer from poverty” but not say “90% of rural families suffer from poverty.” Yours is the imperfect picture of society: Discrimination for females and against families!@517

Saka Gandahan – PH Youth Aggie Entrepreneurship Learning From Danish Folk High School

My coinage: Saka Gandahan has 3 meanings. (1) Farming made beautiful. (2) Then, make it beautiful. (3) In its beauty…

In 2 words, Saka Gandahan is a summary of what I’m thinking of how to teach Filipino youth aggie entrepreneurship, one of the small/big dreams of PH Secretary of Agriculture William Dar following his “The New Thinking for Agriculture.” I explain below.

The main image above is that of a long-forgotten Danish folk high school (photograph[1] from Projects Exeter), vintage 1916. I myself had forgotten that I wrote about this type of school already 9 years ago (see my essay, “Reductionist, Long Education. The UP College Of Agriculture, 1909[2],” 05 September 2011, A Magazine Called Love). Today, I’m going to use it as a lesson for an aggie entrepreneurship course that can be offered via the State Colleges & Universities,SCUs, in the Philippines, numbering at least 100[3] (Wikipedia).

In my 2011 essay, I mention that at the University of Wisconsin, there was this holistic, non-reductionist short course of 2 years. The #6 objective of that short course sums it all for me:

To uplift the farming interests of the state, to make better farmers, and more intelligent, useful citizens.

Beautiful!

Now, what is the lesson for Saka Gandahan there? In class and field, a presentation can come out like this, comparing equivalent techniques currently used in agriculture:

1.     Trash farming vs conventional

2.     Direct seeding vs transplanting

3.     1-month vs 4-month transplants

4.     Single seedling vs bunch transplanting

5.     Organic vs inorganic fertilizer

6.     Natural vs chemical disease control

7.     Natural vs chemical weed control.

Isn’t that a short but beautiful list of what farming is all about?!

Remember: My list is simple, not exhaustive for entrepreneurship training. I cannot make a list of topics for complete entrepreneurship training because I am not familiar with the matter. Besides, I’m just discussing the How, not the What, When & Why.

And now, you may ask:

Can I be more specific with Saka Gandahan?

One example. Comparing trash farming with conventional – In trash farming, you use the rotavator, while in conventional farming, you use the disc plow (hand tractor). Note that the rotavator blades, shaped L & J at the end, cut differently from the tractor disc blades – the rotavator cuts soil and weeds and mixes them all in one rotary motion, while the disc plow digs into the earth and throws the chunks to the side. With the tractor blades, the soil below is brought to the top and exposed. Not with the rotavator.

There is a profound difference there! The rotavator builds a mulch all over the field with the soil and weeds & crop refuse mixed – your organic matter waiting for your crops! Thus, the rotavator controls the weeds and fertilizes your field at the same time. While the tractor blades expose the soil to the sun, drying it up.

Rotavating your soil enriches it with plant nutrients and maintains the soil moisture if you truly understand the technology!@517

 

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[1]https://projects.exeter.ac.uk/RDavies/folkhighschool.html

[2]https://amagazinecalledlove.blogspot.com/2011/09/reductionist-long-education-up-college.html

[3]https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philippine_Association_of_State_Universities_and_Colleges