“Never Again!” Shouts UP Head Angelo A Jimenez, Lawyer. “Ever A Gain!” Shouts UP Alum Frank A Hilario, Creative Writer & Editor

And this (from Facebook): “Bishops Remember Rights Victims On Martial Law Anniversary.” UP alumni and not, they distinctly remember The Negative and shout, “Never again!” 51 years have passed and they remember only the bad. The Positive I shout, “Creative Freedom Is Good Where Academic Freedom Is Bad!” 
(“Never” from facebook.com/esc.upd)

UP System President Angelo A Jimenez says, “I enjoin the whole UP community to participate in ‘We Remember,’ a series of activities that will commence with ‘Noises And Voices Of Memory And Dissent’, a ‘noise-making’ event on 21 Sept 2023, 12:00 NN-1:00 PM.”

Up to now, I am the one and only “Outstanding Alumnus For Creative Writing” in the entire 100+ years of the entire UP System (check out “Frank A Hilario, Outstanding Alumnus for Creative Writing, 2011,” 19 May 2013, The Los Baños Esprit, thelbesprit.blogspot.com).

And now, thinking inventively, I enjoin the entire UP System to be ingenious and think of any “Ever A Gain!”

Concrete Example from UP Alumni: I am an agriculturist, BSA major in Ag Edu (2.36 weighted average); I am now thinking of “Cooperatives As Drivers Of Rural Growth” by William Dar (21 Sept 2023, Manila Times, manilatimes.net). Note: That Times column appeared on Martial Law Day – but UP Alum Mr Dar was not thinking of “Never Again” but instead, if I may say so, “Ever A Gain!”

Whether UP Alumni or not, instead of being Disruptive, we Filipinos must be Cooperative! Here is a concrete example from UP Los Baños PhD alum (1980) and former Secretary of Agriculture William Dar (his Times column I already mentioned above).

There, Mr Dar says:

THE global agricultural landscape is currently undergoing many changes, from adoption of more sustainable or eco-friendly systems, to digitalization. And the country's agriculture sector must not be left behind.

PH has been left behind!

One of the countries that [have] taken bold steps to level up its agriculture sector is India, with a member of the Indian government's public policy think tank agency NITI Aayog saying that the government will increase the number of cooperatives nationwide.

Specifically, NITI Aayog member Ramesh Chand said that the Indian government will establish cooperatives in every village of the country where there is still no cooperative.

Mr Dar quotes Mr Chand as saying “the Indian government’s call” is for “Prosperity through cooperation.” We UP alumni, instead of counter-operating, we should be co-operating! Being active members of cooperatives should teach us much more than UP ever did! UP is good, but not (yet) good enough!

Mr Dar says:

Another big development from India for its agriculture sector is the onboarding of 1,600 farmer producer organizations in the Open Network Digital Commerce…

[This] is a big step to linking farmers directly to the market for their products through digital channels. … India is forging ahead with this as that country is the leader globally in the information technology-business process management industry.

And we Filipinos? We are laggards when it comes to information technology!@517