On A Philippine Media Columnist Writing A Book On Philippine Agriculture, 2024

 

If you are a columnist of PH media, I as an editor have some advice for you for compiling your columns into a book. These thoughts come to me as I edit a book by Conrado Francisco Heradilla, the book titled “The Rise Of Rice In Philippine Society,” 345 pages. (Oh, the name of the author and the title of the book I have given are fictitious, but really, that book and that author are real. There are lessons for you if you are an author, or wish to be one, whatever the subject of the book, in the development of our dear country, the Philippines.) 
(“Why Filipino” from youtube.com)

My advices, plural:

#1, Title

To the title “The Rise Of Rice In Philippine Society,” I would have added this subtitle: “Where Is Science In The Rise & Fall Of Rice & Consumers In Philippine Society?” itself a good book summary.

#2, Chapters

The Introduction itself should have a title, to indicate or imply what the reader can expect to find in the book. To catch the reader’s immediate attention is important.

Chapter 1 – History Of Rice In The Philippines

The chapter can begin anywhere in time, if only to suggest the age-old and can-be-improved method(s) of planting rice in these islands: Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao.  

The chapter should end with the current major problems of the production, consumption and the business of rice. The problems I see, or the areas that need improvement, are:

(1)   Yields.

(2)   Prices.

(3)   Technologies.

(4)   Credit.

(5)   Economies of Scale.

(6)   How Stands PH Farming In Asia?

(7)   What To Do Now?

Chapter 2 – Yields
 Yields differ in different provinces in the country, even given the same rice variety – what is the basic problem/explanation?

Chapter 3 – Technologies
“Technology” refers to the variety of rice as well as how to plant, grow, harvest and process rice.

Chapter 4 – Credit
The most prevalent form of credit for Filipino farmers is called “Five-Six” where you owe someone five pesos and you give back six pesos within a very short period of time. Banks have yet to attract farmers who may lack much education anyway.

Chapter 5 – Economies Of Scale
Farmers are friendly to each other but do not form informal teams to help each other grow rice more profitably together. (No, I don’t think my alma mater UP Los Baños teaches economies of scale in its essence, only in its definition.)

Chapter 6 – How Stands PH Farming In Asia?
ANN says, the “Philippines Way Behind Other ASEAN Countries in Agri Performance” (Author Not Named, 07 Dec 2018, Agriculture Magazine, agriculture.com.ph):

The Philippines lags behind – in a number of ways – compared to other member countries of ASEAN when it comes to agriculture. The facts and figures that tell us the reason for this were presented by Dr William Dar during a round table discussion on the future of Philippine agriculture…

Chapter 7 – What & How To Do Now?

Your guess is as good as mine!?@517

Chapter 8 – xx

 

#3, Final Word, xx