27 May 2025

"Cleaning The House Of Marcos” – Says Ciel F Habito. The Department of Agriculture Awaits A Vision To “Begin The Beguine!” – Says Frank A Hilario


 In “Cleaning the House of Marcos” (27 May 2025, Inquirer, opinion.inquirer.net), former NEDA Chief Ciel F Habito says:

“This reorganization of his official family could be Mr Marcos’ best chance to reclaim control of his presidency and to reassert a policy agenda amid factional squabbles. Again, it can only work if he walks his talk – if he fires those who must go, hires those who are capable, and above all, renounces transactional politics in favor of true statesmanship.”

So, President Ferdinand “BBM” Marcos Jr I expect will be exercising “Visionary Leadership” (image from r.search.yahoo.com).

BBM reorganizing PH at the top – me, as an agriculturist and son of a farmer, I am thinking mostly of the Department of Agriculture (DA) and its leadership. I believe the failure of the DA to solve the problem of poverty of millions of Filipino farmers derives from a lack of Vision – if you don’t know what I’m talking about, then you are not fit to be Secretary of Agriculture! (image from bromleyparishchurch.org).

Today, I propose to help my President reorganize government by advising him go get a visionary Secretary of Agriculture. BBM did not see that in him years ago, but now is the chance for all good men to come to the aid of their country! BBM, please appoint William Dar as the new Secretary of Agriculture!

BBM, let us begin the beguine!

Wikipedia says (“Begin The Beguine,” en.wikipedia.org):

“The beguine is a dance and music form, similar to a slow rhumba. In his book American Popular Song: The Great Innovators 1900–1950, musicologist and composer Alec Wilder described "Begin the Beguine" as a maverick, it is an unprecedented experiment and one which, to this day, after hearing it hundreds of times, I cannot sing or whistle or play from start to finish without the printed music ...

Cecil Adams says, “Now is the time for all good men to come to the aid of their country” was/is “a typing lesson” (16 Sept 1977, “Who Originated, “Now Is The Time For All Good Men …” The Straight Dope, straightdope.com). And today? We have a visioning lesson.

And why William Dar as the new Secretafy of Agriculture? He is a proven international Visionary. Look at history – where was the nternational Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) when he took over as ICRISAT’s Director General (DG) in 2000? Kulelat! Tailender! Where was ICRISAT in just a few years after Mr Dar became DG? At the forefront of the CGIAR, a group of global partners (2025, cgiar.org).

What the Department of Agriculture has been lacking all these years since its founding, are Vision, Mission & Strategy (the three management failures of the DA after it jettisoned William Dar as Secretary of Agriculture):

Vision – Where do you want to be in so many years?
Mission – What should be accomplished to fulfil that Vision?
Strategy – What should be done to fulfil that Mission?

Mr Marcos, let us begin the beguine!@517

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