You Surfing The Internet Or Surfing For Your Favorite Movie Stars – Differently Today, The Truth Is Now Entirely In Your Hands!

From the media, very discouraging words from Inquirer.Net columnist Eleanor Pinugu ( “Undercurrent” Inquirer.Net):

“As long as disinformation remains unchecked, anyone with ample resources can easily rewrite history or reframe the truth as just one opinion among many. This is how the memory of the drug war and the suffering it caused could easily be distorted as fiction.”

“The drug war and the suffering it caused could easily be distorted as fiction” – yes, Ma’am! But only if the people do not use their brains and do not ask their neighbors or do not surf the Internet on their own, thinking independently.

I’m glad I have lived long enough, at 85, to enjoy the news & views that the digitalized media now offer to the people, to anyone. In these times, if you don’t surf enough searching for the truth, ketsup toyo!

Yes, some people are too rich, legally or not, to be able to distort history – but it’s still there: the digital world hides it from those who won’t investigate for themselves. (top image from r.search.yahoo.com)

Today, it’s not anymore “Your favorite newspaper or mine?” You simply open your computer (or cellphone) and surf, asking questions here and there – not to mention asking people via Gmail or Facebook – and you will be richly rewarded. The newspapers could not hide the truth anymore because there is the digital media for truth-seekers to turn to.

Yes, people will always try to rewrite history, but today only the desperate will try!

I don’t want to mention names, lest I find myself in court – I just want to disprove Ms Pinugu’s claim: “How the memory of the drug war and the suffering it caused could easily be distorted as fiction.”

No, but you have to give once-President Rodrigo Duterte all the millions of benefits of the doubt, as every accused deserves.

In the meantime, there is the Internet to surf!

How do you search?

“Philippines drug war” says Wikipedia (en.wikipedia.org):

The Philippine drug war, also referred to as the Philippine war on drugs, is the intensified anti-drug campaign initiated during the administration of Rodrigo Duterte, who served as President of the Philippines from June 30, 2016, to June 30, 2022. The campaign reduced the proliferation of illegal drugs in the country, but has been marred by extrajudicial killings (EJK) allegedly perpetrated by the police and unknown assailants. By 2022, the number of drug suspects killed since 2016 was officially tallied by the government (at) 6,252; human rights organizations and academics, however, estimate that 12,000 to 30,000 civilians have been killed in the "anti-drug operations" carried out by the Philippine National Police and vigilantes (under Pres Duterte).

Is what we are reading in Wikipedia the truth and nothing but the truth? We can search some more. But already the data gives us a good idea how bad it has been.

We have to ask more questions: “Why have there been extra-judicial killings at all?”

Your guess is as good as mine!@517

Inquirer.Net Has 33 Positions Available For Job Applicants, Many Of Them Media – I Show Here Why It’s Extremely Necessary To Have A Technical Editor! (No Sir, I’m Not Applying)

Ah, even this new announcement from an old newspaper needs improvement! This appeared on the webpage of Inquirer.Net; never mind the date, never mind the author – I reproduce as I saw today, Saturday, 05 April 2025: “Job Openings. Inquirer.Net” inquirer.net). The list has these 33 positions:

ü Accounting Assistant

ü Account Executive

ü Account Executive | Cebu-based

ü Administrative Officer

ü Business Channel Editor

ü Editorial Assistant (Lifestyle)

ü Executive Assistant to the Chief Operating Officer (COO) and President/Chief Executive Officer (CEO)

ü Junior Web Developer

ü Multimedia Producer (Graphics)

ü Multimedia Reporter

ü Multimedia Reporter (Business)

ü Multimedia Reporter (Technology)

ü Multimedia Specialist | Cebu based

ü Sales and Marketing Assistant | Cebu based

ü SEO Lead

ü Social Media Content Lead

ü Social Media Specialist

ü Video Editor

I note and wonder: Why is there no advertisement for a Knowledge Editor and/or Technical Editor? (Maybe an English Editor.) “Technical editors,” says InterviewGuy.com, interviewguy.com), “work with a variety of technical documents and materials, ensuring they are clear, concise, and effective in communicating complex information.” ((image from sg.images.search))

If you want the best media presentation, and/or report, or write-up, you have to have the best technical editor! One with quite a lot of experience, if not quite a lot of years – don’t forget: quite a lot of enthusiasm for discovering new things and ideas.

I found the following entry on a page of Inquirer.Net and it is quite revealing of how good/bad Inquirer.Net is in editing; see for yourself now –

We firmly believe that by giving everything that the farmer needs, we empower them to make a sustainable livelihood, create efficiencies and value, and therefore become globally competitive. Philippine agriculture is much broader than our efforts alone, but our experience demonstrates that change is possible.

I’m sorry to say this but there are 2 wongs in the above first sentence, especially these words:
“We firmly believe that  by giving everything that the farmer needs, we empower them…”

(1) Sorry! But wrong number; it should read … “the farmers need” (plural subject). (2) Also, “wrong number” – if we want the farmers to learn, we do not give everything that they need! That would be making them dependent on us always and ever.

But yes, we have to “empower them to make a sustainable livelihood, create efficiencies and value, and therefore become globally competitive.” That is why we need a Technical Editor!

I say, the best Editor does not only check your spellings and grammar but more so your knowledge – s/he advises you on what to do if your article or idea “Needs Improvement.”

But yes, I believe that we should empower the farmers and make them globally competitive.

And my advice is this: “We should teach the farmers first how to help themselves – before we give them anything (not everything) they need to become globally competitive. First things first!

That’s why I said you need a good Technical Editor.

In My Dear Philippines, There Is No Shortage Of Food – Only Shortage Of Thinking About Filipino Farming And Farmers!

Perspective: How high is the PH Secretary of Agriculture perched on his pedestal that he cannot see down there?

Francis Tiu Laurel Jr: “There is no shortage of food.”
Juan De La Cruz: “Yes, but there is shortage of money to buy food!”

Or, how limited is Sec Laurel Jr’s view that he cannot see far from where he sits?

Top image is the one shared on Facebook by friend Francisco Ramos on April 1 – April Fools’ Day. Who is/are the fool/s here?

There Is No Shortage Of Food. No, but there is shortage of money to buy  food! Perspective. (bottom image from The New Humanitarian, thenewhumanitarian.org)

Sec Laurel Jr  does not know that there are about 3 million Filipino farmers who are poor?

Now, how do we make farmers rich or, at least, not poor?

As an agriculture graduate (UPLB 1965), this is what I know about PH Agriculture – Farmers are using Chemical Agriculture (CA) as their mode of production. CA is very expensive; thus, 1 bag of urea (nitrogen fertilizer) costs P1,700. Following DA guidelines, a farmer applies a minimum 6 bags per hectare; that’s P10,200. Where is the poor farmer going to get that much money? From the local dealer, Chinese or Filipino: He borrows “Five-Six” – borrows 5 and pays back 6 – 20%. So, add that 20% to P10,200 – that’s what the farmer pays within 2 or 3 months. No wonder we have millions of poor farmers!

So, how do you solve the problem of poverty of Filipino farmers?

(1) Arithmetic – One way is to subsidize the farmers’ fertilizer costs. (Never mind if the rest of the richer Filipino taxpayers get a little poorer!)

(2) Change “Chemical Agriculture” to “Regenerative Agriculture” (RA) – There are 13 methods of RA that the farmer can choose from to reduce his expenses from thousands of pesos to only hundreds! The RA methods are:

(1) Cover Cropping,
(2) Crop Rotation,
(3) Farm Crops + Tree Crops (Agroforestry),
(4) Green Manuring,
(5) Intercropping,
(6) Multiple Cropping,
(7) No-Till Farming,
(8) Organic Fertilization,
(9) Ratooning,
(10) Rotational Grazing,
(11) “Three Sisters” Planting,
(12) Trap Cropping, and
(13) Trash Mulching.

Yes, I know it’s not that easy shifting from the way of chemicals to natural ways, but it has to be done. Or the poverty of farmers will stay. And Climate Change will continue to wreak havoc not only on our farms but also in our communities and in our houses.

Yes, there is an added benefit when we shift from CA to RA – Climate Change will weaken. Remember: From chemical fertilizers and chemical pesticides come the greenhouse gases (GHGs) that accumulate high up in the Earth’s atmosphere, and the whole Earth becomes a Greenhouse keeping the heat down here – yes, it’s the GHGs that heat up the Earth, as they prevent Earth’s heat from dissipating into the unknown but instead reflect them back to Earth!

I am asking the highly seated PH Sec of Agriculture to reflect on all of the above!@517

Encouraging Writers Instead Of Critics! Encouraging Different Thinking Instead Of Monopoly Thinking. Instead, Why The 1st UPLB Makiling National Writers Workshop On Art & Cultural Criticism – Not Creative Writing?

UP Los Baños starting the writers early? Yes, but on literary criticism, not creativity!

This is surprising to me, an 85-year old writer of my own free will, an alumnus of UPLB (BSA major in Ag Edu, 1965; Civil Service Professional, 1964) – and self-taught writer, editor, desktop publisher, and blogger.

I wonder: “Isn’t UP Los Baños asking too much from the young would-be writers?” Or, do they want the younger generation to find fault with the current generation, especially in government?

The news says on Facebook:

The Department of Humanities of the College of Arts and Sciences, UP Los Baños, in partnership with the Office for Initiatives in Culture and the Arts (UPLB OICA), is inviting young scholars to apply for fellowship to the first MAKILING NATIONAL WRITERS WORKSHOP ON ART AND CULTURAL CRITICISM.

No, not “National Writers Workshop On The Art Of Writing.” UPLB is more interested in your criticism, less on your talent for writing!

The first national workshop from Laguna province, the Makiling Workshop is open to young writers, at least 21 years of age, interested in the practice of art and cultural criticism.

Very dangerous! I must say.

Instead of exploring the minds of students for social criticism, UPLB should be exploring the multiple intelligences (MI) of their students even as they themselves explore theirs!

From the mind of Harvard psychology professor Howard Gardner, these 10 MI:

1. Bodily-Kinesthetic Intelligence (“Body Smart”),
2. Creative Intelligence (“Thinking Smart”), added by FAH,
3. Existential Intelligence (“Life Smart”),
4. Interpersonal Intelligence (“People Smart”),
5. Intrapersonal Intelligence (“Self Smart”),
6. Mathematical-Logical Intelligence (“Number/Reasoning Smart”),
7. Musical Intelligence (“Music Smart”),
8. Naturalist Intelligence (“Nature Smart”),
9. Spatial Intelligence (“Image Smart”), and
10. Verbal-Linguistic Intelligence (“Word Smart”).

Why did I add “Creative Intelligence” to Gardner’s list? Because that’s where I’m smart!

“Where am I smart?” could/should be the first area of discovery of any student anywhere. If teachers are looking to encourage their students, they should help them look for their innate intelligences.

And you know what? That day is coming up! National Today writes about “National Encourage A Young Writer Day” – that day is April 10, Thursday, 1 week from now.

Allow the students, would-be writers and not, to explore their own innate individual intelligence and write about it first. Who would not be excited to do that?!

The Naturalist-leaning student would be trying to understand living things.

The Bodily-Kinesthetic student would be trying to improve her/his body moves as if in preparation for an athletic meet.

The Linguistic student would discover how s/he is good in expressing her/himself.

The Logical-Mathematical student would re-discover her/his love for quantifying things and arguing about them.

The Intrapersonal student would go on and discover her/his talent by oneself.

The Interpersonal student would go on and discover that s/he is good at talking to people and working with them.

Etcetera.

UPLB College of Arts and Sciences, what is there to lose? Your innocence!@517

 

A New SEARCA Director Has Been Appointed – Mercedita A Sombilla –Expect Now Policy Shifts From “Business As Usual” To Fast-Tracking “Transformational Development.” I say, “You’re Welcome, Ma’am!”

Exciting news from SEARCA! Leah Lyn Domingo writes about it: “Eminent Economist Appointed 12th SEARCA Director, First Woman To Lead The Center,” 01 April 2025, SEARCA, searca.org): Mercedita A. Sombilla. No joke! I take note of the sex, but I take more note of this:

As (formerly) Undersecretary of the Philippine Department of Agriculture and a long-standing policy advocate at the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA), where she also served as Undersecretary, Dr Sombilla has long championed policy reforms aimed at strengthening agricultural productivity, food security, and rural development.

I especially note her interests in (1) “agricultural productivity,” (2) “food security,” and (3) “rural development” – all along “fast-tracking transformational development.” Can’t wait!

Those new foci of SEARCA make me glad, as my own origins are in the ricelands of Asingan, Pangasinan, not known for either (1), (2) or (3).

If the SEARCA heads and scientists will soon focus on those 3 concerns, with Dr Sombilla’s leadership, Southeast Asia should become a center for agricultural development.

Says Ms Leah: “Her appointment follows a distinguished career marked by thought leadership and significant contributions to agricultural economics, public policy, and regional development.”

A remarkable lady, this gentleman says.

Ms Leah says more on Dr Sombilla:

“Her research(es) on the complexities of agricultural production, marketing, trade, and prices have informed major initiatives on agricultural transformation across Southeast Asia and South Asia, with expertise that bridges macroeconomic insight, climate-smart agriculture, and grassroots empowerment.”

I an agriculturist of UP Los Baños (1965); with my personal standards for public service, am impressed more and more by Dr Sombilla.

“Her research (initiatives) on the complexities of agricultural production, marketing, trade, and prices (have) informed major initiatives on agricultural transformation across Southeast Asia and South Asia, with expertise that bridges macroeconomic insight, climate-smart agriculture, and grassroots empowerment.” A remarkable lady of science! I say.

Not that I have been looking for a special lady of science, but I have been interested in “climate-smart agriculture” – now I say:

“If we do not outsmart Climate Change, it will outsmart us all!”

Ms Leah says:

“She underscored ‘the need to shift from business-as-usual development to transformational development’ and forward-looking policies that fast-track modernization, drive innovation, strengthen capacity-building, and nurture inclusivity in Southeast Asia.”

Dr Sombilla notes the need for SEARCA to transform itself somehow (into) a knowledge center of Southeast Asia. Ms Leah quotes her as saying:

"Let's make SEARCA the go-to center for policy actions and a champion for knowledge and innovation that empower agricultural stakeholders in the region now and in the future."

Wow! Now I’m thinking Dr Sombilla creating a knowledge base that I shall call here “SEARCA InfoLink”  – initially, an Internet library of what SEARCA people have come up with in terms of published papers and articles – with proper and adequate quick-search index entries.

Online, this SEARCA knowledge base will feature search entries for data & info from out there in the Internet world – the faster, the better!@517

 

Nota Bene: All over the world, once millions of farmers practice Regenerative Agriculture (RA), since RA is Very Low Costs=Very High Returns (VLC=VHR), in due time: (1) We will solve Farmer Poverty everywhere! And (2) We will subdue Climate Change from America to Zimbabwe!

We humans need to wipe out Climate Change – or Climate Change will wipe us out humans! (image pixabay.com)

We need to regenerate – revive the world we have, especially in agriculture. If you look at my list of 13 Regenerative Agriculture (RA) practices below, you will note the world will have to do one, two or more of these: recreate, redevelop, renew, restore, revive –

(1) Cover Cropping,
(2) Crop Rotation,
(3) Farm Crops + Tree Crops (Agroforestry),
(4) Green Manuring,
(5) Intercropping,
(6) Multiple Cropping,
(7) No-Till Farming,
(8) Organic Fertilization,
(9) Ratooning,
(10) Rotational Grazing,
(11) “Three Sisters” Planting,
(12) Trap Cropping, and
(13) Trash Mulching.

RA covers more than Organic Farming (OF) – anyway, my salute to OF as a farmer’s son and an agriculturist, graduate of University of the Philippines Los Baños (1965), inveterate roamer, blogger and editor. 

According to Ahmed Usman, these are the 11 advantages of RA (12 Nov 2024, Cultivation, cultivationag.):

“1. Healthier Soil

“2. Increased climate-friendliness

“3. Infiltration and biodiversity

“4. No GMOs

“5. Healthier yields

“6. Reduced runoff and erosion

“7. Reduced costs

“8. Supports pollinators

“9. Integrates livestock into arable systems

“10. Healthier working environment for farmers

“11. Specialization opportunities.”

Mr Usman also notes disadvantages of Regenerative Agriculture:

Mr Usman – “1. Little to no subsidies”

Mr Hilario – “That is why we need all of government to push RA so that there will be government subsidies given to farmers to encourage them.”

Mr Usman – “2. Requires more work. Regenerative agriculture requires more work to produce goods that are ready for sale. There is more physical burden like pulling weeds and other cultivation techniques.”

FAH – “No, Mr Usman, under RA, you can simply turn the weeds into organic matter with the use of the rotavator – ask me how!”

Mr Usman – “3. Requires specialized knowledge.” In regenerative farming, you have to monitor crop growth patterns during every critical stage of growth.”

FAH – In all farming, Mr Usman, you have to monitor!

Mr Usman – “4. Unique marketing challenges“

FAH – Truthfully, RA produces organic foods cheaply; the unique challenges will be to produce more of this and more of that!

Mr Usman – “Organic foods are more expensive than commodity foods or commercially grown products.”

FAH – ”If you grow inexpensive organic foods via RA, the buyers will come in droves!”

Mr Usman – “5. Rigorous certification process.“ FAH – No need for such certification under RA!

Mr Usman – “6. More expensive than commercial farming.”
FAH – RA is much more inexpensive than whatever farming method you are applying!

Mr Usman – “7. Reduced profit margins and increased costs”

FAH – I do declare: RA is very low costs and very high returns (“VLC=VHR”). You will agree with me only if you have tried “VLC=VHR” yourself!@517

 

Looking For Love Everyday? Reminding You To Love 365 Times A Year! Multiply That By 26 Letters

In the last 18 years at least, in my tens of thousands of blogposts (at least 40,000 separate essays, different topics, most of them like this one, 517 words long).

“My friends, love is better than anger. Hope is better than fear. Optimism is better than despair. So let us be loving, hopeful and optimistic. And we’ll change the world” – Jack Layton, Canadian academic & politician

Whatever you are doing, find your heart everyday! (image from purepng.com)

I just had a little epiphany today, Wednesday in Manila, 26 March 2025, at about 8 AM, when it suddenly occurred to me that everyone of us can help this planet of ours by doing a little ACT of love, of your own heart, or doing any act in this, my AZ list:

Adjust! You’re not the only person in the world. The more you show love, the more you are shown love.

Bring out joy in a place. It doesn’t matter if it’s just a little joy, joy is it!

Cake-in in a birthday party. Another cake is always welcome.

Delight in little things. Don’t underestimate the power of little things shown/given in love.

Explain it another way until it’s understood. {That’s exactly why I keep writing! Or in case I wasn’t understood last time.)

Find a way to hearts (not hurts). With a little gift, or a little hug, it really doesn’t matter – just do it!

Gratitude needs expression even for little things. “Thank you” is always welcome.

“Have a nice day!” When was the last time I said that to a friend?

Immerse yourself in reading. Whatever. It will ease your mind, if not enrich it.

Joke – Read a joke, or tell one. This time, the joke’s on you!

Kiss family. Especially whom you have not paid attention to for a long time. That’s especially true to me as I have a large family – 13 children (8 daughters, 5 sons).

Letter – Write to someone you miss. A brief note will lift someone’s spirit in a big way!

Music – For the soul, play some for you and your family. Who said this again? “Music hath charm that soothes the savage breast” (William Congreve, 1697, phrases.org.uk).

News, ask for news about someone. Just the asking for will warm the heart.

Open your heart to someone or something.

Praise the Lord! Don’t forget God.

Quiet, every once in a while.

Review what you have been repeatedly doing. I always do that writing.

Send a birthday card. That once a year is good enough!

Recite a poem, if just for you.

Thank someone for any reason at all.

Understand, try to understand.

Viewpoint: Look at the other’s. S/He will thank you for just trying!

Write a letter to family or friend. Long or short, it means you have not forgotten.

Xerox love if you can’t be original!

Yesterday is gone. But not in the memories.

Zoology? It’s a world itself to discover. And I pray you discover that it is a world of love!@517