DoST, Together We Can Teach On Terra Firma, Via Outer Space!

Via Facebook, I read the sad news, "DoST Gets Lower Budget For 2020" by RG Cruz (02 September 2019, ABS-CBN News, news.abs-cbn.com). And, methinks, the very short news item reflects the reduced budget! 

Here is the 2nd sentence of that report:

The Department of Budget and Management approved a budget of P20.1 billion for 2020 for the DoST, which is P79.85 million lower than its P20.26 billion budget for 2019.

You, Department of Science & Technology, DoST, are getting a budget P80 million lower for next year. Meanwhile your head is above the clouds, up in outer space! On 31 January 2019, your head Fortunato De La Peña said, "We are proud to say that we are capable and ready for a Philippine Space Agency" ("Philippines Ready For Own Space Agency: DoST" (ANN, 31 January 2019, ABS-CBN News, news.abs-cbn.com).

I am thinking of the possibilities of empty space versus the realities of much populated terra firma:

Such as the reality that the merchants of malice are buying the palays of farmers at murderous prices.

So, the new Department of Agriculture, DA, under new Secretary of Agriculture William Dar must be a realist, while the old DoST under Fortunato T De La Peña must be a dreamer? Mr Dar is a scientist and an agriculturist; Mr De La Peña is a scientist and an engineer. The agriculturist thinks of barefoot farmers out there in the countryside; the engineer thinks of winged engines up there in the sky?

Our new Secretary of Agriculture brought into the DA, on his very first day of office on Monday, 05 August, what I call The Gospel of The Eight Paradigms (read my essay, "Critics Of William Dar & The New PH Agriculture – How About Some Honesty & Humor!" 03 September 2019, Ani Kitá, ianikita.blogspot.com). Another dreamer, as I see it, those Eight Paradigms written are not unlike the Ten Commandments written by God on 2 tablets of stone that Moses received on Mt Sinai – they spell out the constructs out of which national initiatives will be based. Moses came down from that mountain to lead a new humanity; Mr Dar comes down from his high office to personally lead the farmers to prosperity. Shared dreams.

Back to Earth, DoST, and the rice crisis. I have an intellectual project in mind we can work out together – since science means knowledge – why don't you and I build from scratch a digital science library on climate change-smart agriculture constructed into packages of options that the farmers themselves can choose from, so they can blame nobody but themselves!? Accessible via tablets, in high school language. I am a UPLB alumnus; actually, I have already written the idea ebook: The Geography Of Knowledge. Yes, Sir, two iVirtual Gurus are better than one!

Meanwhile, read my ebook Paradigms Lost, Paradigms Regained, as it covers Mr Dar's tablets of paradigms in 79 short essays. My ebook is free; email me: frankahilario@gmail.com.. After 17 September 2019, pay US$17 or P900/copy.

DoST, come down from the mountain! I mean sky.@517

Life Tips From A 90-Year Old Lady (From Lifter UK)

1.  Life isn't fair but it's still good.

2.  When in doubt, just take the next small step.

3.  Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.

4.  Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.

5.  Pay off your credit cards every month.

6.  You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.

7.  Cry with someone. It's more healing than crying alone.

8.  It's OK to get angry with God. He can take it.

9.  Save for retirement starting with your first paycheck.

10. When it comes to chocolate, resistance is futile.

11. Make peace with your past so it won't screw up the present.

12. It's okay to let your children see you cry.

13. Don't compare your life to others'. You have no idea what their journey is all about.

14. If a relationship has to be a secret, you shouldn't be in it.

15. Everything can change in the blink of an eye. But don't worry: God never blinks.

16. Life is too short for long pity parties. Get busy living, or get busy dying.

17. You can get through anything if you stay put in today.

18. A writer writes. If you want to be a writer, write.

19. It's never too late to have a happy childhood. But the second one is up to you and no one else.

20. When it comes to going after what you love in life, don't take no for an answer.

21. Burn the candles. Use the nice sheets. Wear the fancy lingerie. Don't save it for a special occasion. Today is special.

22. Over-prepare. Then go with the flow.

23. Be eccentric now. Don't wait for old age to wear purple.

24. The most important sex organ is the brain.

25. No one is in charge of your happiness except you.

26. Frame every so-called disaster with these words: "In five years, will this matter?"

27. Always choose life.

28. Forgive everyone everything.

29. What other people think of you is none of your business.

30. Time heals almost everything. Give time, time.

31. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.

32. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends will stay in touch.

33. Believe in miracles.

Mikey Siegel

PH Rice Crisis – 10 Ways To Discuss? 9 Ways To Disgust!

So you support Filipino farmers. Good. 

So you demand justice for Filipino farmers. Good.

But not good enough.
You are not thinking enough.
Your thinking is fragmentary!

On Facebook, I keep seeing the posts of Leonardo Montemayor of farmers' "cry for help" because of falling palay prices. Here are some entries on his Facebook page:

1. Palaweño farmers cry for help due to plummeting palay farmgate prices;

2. Rice millers claim imports hurt them, too;

3. Mismanagement' of imports blamed for excess rice supply;

4. Special safeguard duties versus rice imports urged – The Manila Times

5. Farmers call for limits to rice imports, hike in NFA buffer stock;

6. Fields of agony;

7. DA moves to control surge in imported rice;

8. Rice prices in Luzon down to P8/kg – PSA – Cai Ordinario;

9. Rice prices still not hitting P27/kilo as projected under tariffication law;

10. 'Disproportionate' price drop of palay unexpected.

Numbering mine. Except #7 – 90% negative!

Mr Montemayor's continually posting the negatives implies that the DA is continually hardly doing anything, and that is unfair.

I made a Facebook comment on #9 as follows:

Please stop the finger-pointing. The theme this time is The Team!
I gave the link to my essay:
"Climate Changes Considered, Nothing Beats Teamwork In PH Agriculture!" Ani Kitá,
ianikita.blogspot.com

and this was Mr Montemayor's comment:
"There is a world of difference between a journalist and a propagandist."

All I can say is that Mr Montemayor commits there 2 logical fallacies: (1) name-calling or innuendo, and (2) being beside the point.

Sorry to see that Mr Montemayor is like Rene Ofreneo – they see the glass half-empty instead of half-full! (See my essay, "The Half Desolation Of PH Agriculture In The Eyes Of Rene E Ofreneo, BusinessMirror," 29 August 2019, Ani Kitá, ianikita.blogspot.com.)

Both are pessimists, while I am the optimist – I see the doughnut, they see the hole!

They are notgiving Secretary of Agriculture William Dar the benefit of the doubt. They do not realize that if you point 1 finger to someone, 3 fingers are pointing at you!

In fact, even before he was sworn in as Secretary, Mr Dar was ready with what he calls "The Eight Paradigms" to use as guides for leading the Philippines from bad-performing to good-performing agriculture, primarily for the poor farmers.

In case the 2 gentlemen have not come across those 8 paradigms, here they are:

(1) Modernizing agriculture.
(2) Industrializing agriculture.
(3) Promoting exports.
(4) Consolidating the farms.
(5) Developing roadmaps.
(6) Building infrastructure.
(7) Having higher budgets and investments for agriculture.
(8) Having legislative support.

As a matter of fact, I have just produced an ebook of 266 pages comprised of 79 of my short essays on The Eight Paradigms as Mr Dar is now applying them leading the country to a vibrant & viable PH agriculture – anyone can avail of a free copy via email: frankahilario@gmail.com.

The title of my ebook tells you there is wit you can find in there. As Bill Cosby says, "Careful, you might learn something!"@517

Rice Tariffication – If You Can't Solve A Problem, Change The Problem!

Those who oppose PH rice tariffication are banging their heads against the wall – they are acting out of ignorance.

Now look at the image above, logo and text saying, "World Trade Organization." Based on a document I obtained from the Department of Agriculture, DA, the Philippines as a WTO member must complywith the WTO requirement to implement rice tariffication.

Change the problem: Let us withdraw membership from the WTO and get rid of rice tariffication once and for all? No, we cannot, says our DA source; otherwise, our trade with WTO countries will suffer.

So, I say, if you cannot solve the tariffication problem, change the problem!

Now look at the other small image, that of Secretary of Agriculture William Dar. He is the one who came down from the mountain, Moses-like, bringing with him 2 tablets of commandments on which are written what he calls The Eight Paradigms(see my essay, "William Dar – The New Moses With The New Tablets!" 04 September 2019, Ani Kitá, ianikita.blogspot.com). Thus: Paradigm #1 requires the modernization of agriculture, which includes cost-cutting technologies, minimizing labor and expenses. Why? To be globally competitive.

(The reason I have included the cover of my new ebook, Paradigms Lost, Paradigms Regained, is that the book will help you appreciate and assess what roles new paradigms now have to play in the New PH Agriculture, at no expense to you – my ebook is free up to 17 September 2019; simply email me at frankahilario@gmail.com. After that date, I will charge US$17/P900/copy, to buy my big family some rice. I assure your entertainment reading any of those 79 short essays; my ebook is witty and worldly-wise!)

Here are facts of the case:

No, rice tariffication is not a new policy. The law was signed this year but its passage had been postponed in the last 5 years, beginning when Proceso Alcala was PH Secretary of Agriculture and Noynoy Aquino was President.

Yes, my DA source says PH has "to put in place the necessary productivity-enhancing measures to protect our palay farmers and make them globally competitive."

Now, why are Filipino rice farmers suffering from low buying prices of their rices with the advent of imported rices?

Because Filipino farmers are not globally competitive!

Compare now these costs of production per kilo of rice: Philippines P12/kilo,  Thailand P8/kilo, Vietnam P6/kilo.
Filipinos are losers in our own country when it comes to rice!

That is why we need to consolidate our farm operations – in Paradigm #4 – so that our agriculture can enjoy economies of scale, so that our rice can be competitive with the imported ones.

There is something else that occurs to me now, something to do with the irrational insistence on rice self-sufficiency by previous secretaries of agriculture – we did not want to change the problem and we insisted laboring in the fields with our overriding desire for self-sufficiency in rice, costing our country heavily.

Slowly but surely we were self-destructing.
Thank God we have a Secretary of Agriculture who knows his Science!@517

Senior Global Best Teacher Prize, Homeschool Category: That Belongs To Frank A Hilario!

Top image, that's junior math & physics teacher Peter Tabichi of Kenya winning the Global Teacher Prize for 2019 (Busani Bafana, "World's Best Teacher Prize And One Million Dollars Awarded To Kenyan Teacher From Impoverished Community," 25 March 2019, IPS, (ipsnews.net). 

Bottom image, 21 April 2018; that's senior me with the white hair on the right, inside a collage that I had caused while tweaking Windows 10. Yes, on my own, I have learned to tweak Windows 10 to get the speed I want, or effects.

Peter is 36; I am almost 79. They should have a Senior Global Best Teacher Prize, Homeschool Category, and I should win it!

I am a certified teacher, Professional level, passing the very first PH Teacher's Exam in 1964, at 80.6%, Good.

About the million-dollar prize, Peter says, "I cannot believe it. This is a motivation for teachers in Kenya, Africa and the world. It affirms that teaching is the best profession and I will continue to make a change by teaching."

It is a motivation for me, a teacher in the Philippines. But money is not everything.

I myself feel that once a teacher, always a teacher! Senior, continuously growing older with digital.

Peter's school has only 1 desktop computer and 1 lousy Internet connection. Nonetheless, he uses information & communication technology, ICT, in 70% of his lessons "to engage students," visiting Internet cafes elsewhere to cache online contents for his offline ICT instruction ("Peter Tabichi," Global Teacher Prize, globalteacherprize.org).

Peter says:

Seeing my learners grow in knowledge, skills and confidence is my greatest joy in teaching! When they become resilient, creative and productive…, I get a lot of satisfaction for I act as their… key that unlocks their potential in the most exciting manner.

Exciting potentials! The Seniors need to be reminded of theirs; I am here.

The Global Teacher Prize profile of Peter says:

Through making his students believe in themselves, Peter has dramatically improved his pupils' achievement and self-esteem… In 2017, only 16 out of 59 students went on to college, while in 2018, 26 students went to university and college.

I leave Peter to the Juniors and their dream of college. Senior citizen Frank will take care of the Seniors, newly retired or any age above retirement. Digital, homeschool.

I am self-taught digital, so online home-to-home I can teach you any of these: creative writing, editing, and desktop publishing. I can mentor seniors writing speeches, lectures, preparing PowerPoint presentations, brochures, newsletters, magazines, writing biographies, even blogging.

With 30 plus books I have authored and/or edited & desktop-published, add about 10 ebooks, including The Beauty & The Best (Catriona Gray), and Paradigms Lost, Paradigms Regained (new PH Agriculture) – you can email for free copies.

Note: I'm almost 79 and 100% digital.
Any of the above should fill Seniors' hearts to the max.
If I can do it, they can do it!

I can teach seniors digitally, learning on their own free time in the comforts of their own homes! Email me if interested, frankahilario@gmail.com@517

UP Los Baños On Your 101st Loyalty Day Celebration – How About Another Show Of Love Of Country?!

University of the Philippines' College of Agriculture, UPCA, now University of the Philippines Los Baños, UPLB, is celebrating its 101st "Loyalty Day" on Thursday, 10 October 2019, with the theme "UP Los Baños: Patuloy Na Tumutugon Sa Hamon Ng Bayan" (UP Los Baños: Continuing To Respond To National Call, my translation). The pertinent news item, "Loyalty Day: History and Essence Revisited" (legacy.uplb.edu.ph) says it was 10 October 1918 when 300 students and 27 faculty members of UPCA voluntarily enlisted in the Philippines National Guard to train and fight in Europe, World War I, along with the USA. Note: Americans founded UPCA 10 years earlier.

And President Quezon sent this telegram message to UPCA Dean Charles Fuller Baker:

Congratulate you and your college upon this splendid showing of devotion to country.

"Devotion to country" – today, as an UPCA graduate, 1965, I wonder aloud why UPLB as a whole or its officials and/or alumni have been publicly non-vocal especially starting last month, August, for 2 reasons:

One, Lack of justice: UPLB alumni are silent on The Rice Crisis enveloping the country – are not the falling palay prices grave injustice to the Filipino rice farmers and their families?!

Two, Lack of business mindset: I have yet to learn of UPLB professors teaching farmers via digital means, publications, and/or trainings on entrepreneurship. If this University has not taught, those farmers have not learned. Since Filipino farmers are not Asean-competitive, any import hurts them. The whole UP System proudly claims to be the National University but has failed our farmers nationally!

Right in front of the old UPCA Library building stands a replica of the UP Oblation – Is not the Oblation saying, with whole body naked and arms outstretched: "I give my all!"?

UP Los Baños alumni, it is not too late to wake up from your stupor of 100 years since UPCA was founded by an American botanist in 1909. What have you been doing to Serve the People?!

Your slogan is in Tagalog, which you call Filipino. You will note that I prefer to write in the language and speak in the tongue of a colonizer, the United States of America. No problem! Foreign language or not, I continue responding to the national challenge – helping the new Secretary of Agriculture promote intellectually "The Eight Paradigms" that are embodied in his "The New Thinking for Agriculture." Voluntarily. On both subjects, I have produced a witty & weighted ebook titled Paradigms Lost, Paradigms Regained, 266 pages – anyone can email me for a freeecopy, frankahilario@gmail.com. Note: After 17 September 2019, I charge US$17/P900/copy – a non-farmer I, a writer, have to buy rice too!

So, what can UP Los Baños alumni do? First, have a crash course on The Eight Paradigms of Manong Willie – maybe hold a national workshop? Meanwhile, do read my free ebook! Challenge to IQ? No, Challenge to Knowledge.

So, 100 plus years later, Loyalty Day or not, this alumnus is expecting from UPCA/UPLB alumni another splendid showing of love of country!@517

Climate Changes Considered, Nothing Beats Teamwork In PH Agriculture!

Real climate change: Buying price of farmer rice murderously going down throughout the country. 

Artificial climate change: Naysayers spreading hate & loathing against government for real climate change.

Now I understand why as new Secretary of PH Agriculture, William Dar/Manong Willie came out swinging "The Eight Paradigms" coming out of "The New Thinking for Agriculture" even before he was sworn in a month ago.

In his Manila Timescolumn, "The 'New Thinking' And Dealing With Climate Change, 2nd of 2 parts" (05 September 2019, manilatimes.net), Manong Willie says:

The events during the past days (have been) quite overwhelming, as there is growing support from local government units (LGUs) to undertake collective action with the Department of Agriculture (DA) to assist their rice farmers during this time of bad, stormy weather.

Reading that, I smile because there are 2 stormy weathers I can see, natural and unnatural. The first is characterized by strong winds and heavy rains; the second is the panicky situation of falling farmer rice prices because of imports. The current PH rice crisis needs a nation-wide countervailing force. This is where nothing beats teamwork.

Now then, Manong Willie says:

As this column goes to press, a total of 30 provincial LGUs have committed to support their rice farmers by allotting funds to bankroll the buying, drying and milling of palay (unmilled rice) and the marketing of the milled rice.

Teamwork!
(beautiful image above from Artificial Lawyer, artificiallawyer.com)

With Manong Willie, I saw the incredible value of teamwork 12 years ago when I began as international consulting writer for ICRISAT, and a year later the Institute published my first book, Team ICRISAT Champions The Poor (128 pages of 8.5" x 11" trim size), a heavy book because, one, of the thick paper! two, as a writer I had gained a wide-wide-world perspective that surprised even me; and three, because I recognized and said so in 9 big pages, 78 to 86:

An Inconvenient Truth: William Dar,
The Filipino As Global Manager.

He is the science manager who was a 15-year Director General of ICRISAT, based in India, the Captain who led his Team from being dead last to 1st among the 15 international centers of the CGIAR Group, which includes IRRI.

Now I understand why he came up with "The New Thinking for Agriculture" in which are embedded The Eight Paradigms: They need collective action to successfully implement them all!

But first, you have to understand them, so as a self-appointed disciple of Manong Willie, I have come up with a new ebook, witty and weighted:

Paradigms Lost, Paradigms Regained

(266 pages, of which you can get a copy free by email, frankahilario@gmail.com, any time between today and 17 September 2019, after which I will charge US$17 or P900/copy – disciples themselves need a good price for the brain food they produce.)

Now, we must remember that:

The Eight Paradigms require teamwork!

Which means we all have to work for our own good.
Which means we all have to look at the glass as half-full instead of half-empty!@517