Poor Farmers And Fishers Will Be Always With Us – If The Department Of Agriculture Continues To Ignore Conservation Of Resources!

I write this on Christmas Day, 25 Dec 2022. Do we actually celebrate Christmas with the poor? No. Pope Francis says it is not truly Christmas when poor people remain poor (Christopher White, 24 Dec 2022, “Pope Francis: 'It Is Not Truly Christmas Without The Poor',” National Catholic Reporter, ncronline.org). I Roman Catholic say you are poorer if you celebrate Christmas without the poor in mind, meaning and manner!

(“Poverty” from pinterest.ph)

In his Christmas Eve homily at the Vatican, Pope Francis says, “The church supports and blesses efforts to change the structures of injustice, and sets down but one condition: that social, economic and political change[s] truly benefit the poor.” Above, he is seen carrying an image of the baby Jesus born poor in a manger in Bethlehem.

Mr White says, “Pope Francis marked the start of Christmas at the Vatican by cautioning that it is impossible to celebrate the birth of Jesus without concern for the poor.” Impossible? We Christians do it every year!

And what do the non-religious groups say? Here is from Zacarian Sarao who says, “True Spirit Of Christmas Is Being Mindful Of How We Impact Earth, Ocean – Oceana” (24 Dec 2022, Inquirer, newsinfo.inquirer.net). As a marine conservation collection, “Oceana stressed the importance of taking care of the planet, particularly the ocean… as it recognized the struggles and sacrifices of artisanal fisherfolk in 2022.”

However: While Pope Francis’ and Oceana’s declarations themselves share that “concern for the poor,” they both ignore the fact that the poor themselves are also to blame: thus, the farmers for abusing the soils, and the fishermen for abusing the waters!

And yes, both abuses happen to fall into the responsibility of the government in promoting and pursuing “conservation,” which my favorite American Heritage Dictionary defines as “controlled use and protection of natural resources, as forests, wetlands, endangered species, etc” (TheFreeDictionary, thefreedictionary.com).

And that means, the government is to blame for neglecting to implement the laws of resource conservation – and the farmers and fishers themselves because they have no concern for themselves!

And I must blame the Agricultural Training Institute (ATI) for failing to adequately extend the principles and practices of conservation of resources to the people.

Ultimately, as Secretary of Agriculture, I must blame BBM if he does not do anything about the ATI not doing anything to help the farmers and fishers help themselves.

Pope Francis  says:

He who was born in the manger, demands a concrete faith, made up of adoration and charity, not empty words and superficiality. He who lay naked in the manger and hung naked on the cross, asks us for truth, he asks us to go to the bare reality of things…

In the Philippines and in farming and fisheries, how can the ATI promote prosperity among the farmers and fishermen when what the ATI people are all doing is all training, training, training with technology!? What about fisheries exploitation coupled with conservation? What about farming with climate change in mind?@517

 

Did God Send His Son To The World To Show Love? More Than That – He Sent Him To Show How To Share Love!

25 December 2022, Christmas Day in Manila, Sunday; we believers celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ, Son of God. And now I ask: “Did God send his son to show love?” My Roman Catholic reply: “The only way to show love is to share it.” And not only one day of the year!

Here comes ANN with Rappler and its corporate campaign to “#ShareLove This Holiday Season, One Good Deed At A Time” (Author Not Named, 16 Dec 2022, rappler.com).

Rappler’s #ShareLove considered, how do you react to this news from Africa; ANN says, “Africa Must Heal Itself – And Not Rely On America” (Author Not Named, 22 Dec 2022, The Patriot Post, patriotpost.us/opinion). Do we call America selfish?

Ah, but that exactly is the reason why I began by asking why God sent his son to the world – to show how to share love!

How much you share, that is the measure of your love.
(“Share” from Rappler)

There is poverty in the world because people are selfish. They say they love God, but they do not share their blessings with their fellowmen.
(“Poverty” from christiantruthcenter.com)

And how can Africa heal itself and not rely on America? Same as how the Philippines can heal itself and not rely on America!

Combatting Climate Change – Right now, selfish countries are not paying much attention beyond COP27 claims they are trying to reduce emissions.

Here is what Natalia Alyza et al have to say (08 Dec 2022, “COP27: Key Takeaways And What’s Next,” World Resources Institute, wri.org): “Countries at COP27 agreed to outcomes that reflected only modest, incremental progress on reducing emissions.”

“Only modest, incremental progress” – and this is already the 27^th year that the United Nations is meeting on climate change!

I will now repeat my mantra that Regenerative Agriculture (RA) is what every country in the world, big or small, should apply without paying much attention to the progress of those interminable Conferences of Parties – they are not helping the world cope with climate change!

I see that Organic Agriculture (OA), which is a method of RA, is the one stone that can shoot two birds: Farmer Poverty and Climate Change.

I look at organic farming as sharing:

1.     Sharing the rich soil.
Organic farming results in crops sharing the natural richness of the soil via trash farming – the trash is utilized as wealth, not wasted.

2.     Sharing the rich harvests.
With naturally rich soils, it follows that the harvests of farmers are rich.

3.     Sharing the rich foods.
The harvests are of leaves, stems, root and fruits that are naturally rich in food elements that are good for the body of any consumer.

4.     Sharing the rich incomes.
With low costs of farming, the farmers undoubtedly become richer.

5.     Sharing the rich countryside.
Organic methods do not generate greenhouse gases that generate climate change.

Organic farming is sharing love, sharing the goodness of the Earth with plants and animals and people in the countryside!@517

 

If I Were A Cordilleran, I Would Start A “Save The Cordilleras” And Not Be Limited To “Save The Rice Terraces”!”

I have been wondering about the world wonder called “Ifugao Rice Terraces” and have been looking at them as “improvable,” what with my added knowledge of agroforestry that I obtained between 1975 and 1981 when I was Editor In Chief of the monthly newsletter Canopy, quarterly technical Sylvatrop, and quarterly color magazine Habitat published by the Forest Research Institute (FORI) where I was Editor In Chief from 1975 to 1981. Thus, this agriculturist enjoyed his on-the-job learning!

I am now reading Ronnel W Domingo’s news report, “Ifugao Rice Terraces Land On Another ‘Protection’ List” (23 Dec 2022, Inquirer, newsinfo.inquirer.net). The caption of the above photograph says, “The world-famous Cordillera landscape keeps getting international attention amid increasing climate threats.” And so we learn from Mr Domingo this:

Communities that depend on the Ifugao Rice Terraces for their livelihood will receive support from Canada-based Manulife Financial Corp and National Geographic (NatGeo) Society, which have included the famous Cordillera landmark in a list of 10 heritage sites that must be protected from the impact of climate change.

Eight others on the list, drawn up under the “Preserving Legacies: A Future for Our Past” initiative, are also on the World Heritage List of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (Unesco).

The 8 others are in Bangladesh, Cambodia, Colombia, Ireland, Fiji, Jordan, Micronesia, and Togo & Benin – the 10^th is the Border Field between Mexico and the United States.

In a joint statement, Manulife and NatGeo said the project could help safeguard these historic and culturally significant sites from the impact of climate change and protect the physical and financial well-being of the communities that rely on them for livelihood. Under the project, it is hoped that the communities can better visualize climate threats on a local scale and be trained in scientific mitigation efforts.

View of Manulife-NatGeo Project – Above, the crucial words are “communities… be trained in scientific mitigation efforts.” Mitigation means “to make less severe or intense” (American Heritage Dictionary, thefreedictionary.com).

My Personal View as Lover of Nature – I would rather that the Cordilleras as one regenerate its historical beauty when the rice terraces were just starting to be constructed on the hillsides – and at the same time combat Climate Change.

I am proceeding from the perspective of Regenerative Agriculture (RA) as the intelligent and complete response to resolve Climate Change! RA is a direct attack on climate change, not simply a reaction like mitigation.

As I see it, the action that is called for the Cordilleras is modern anti-climate change agroforestry: Regenerative Agriculture to return the natural richness of the soil and cultivate not only rice but other suitable crops; and reforestation of denuded Cordillera hillsides

With multi-cropping and agroforestry in and around the rice terraces, as a whole the Cordilleras would be protected as a heritage site, and this will contribute to the conservation of the ancient plant and animal species in the forests in the area. That would be the best World Heritage accomplishment!@517

“Go Negosyo” (“Be Business-Minded”) – My Agriculturist Challenge For Private Firms To Help Growers Go Organic To Help Solve Farmer Poverty And Resolve Climate Change!

The latest news is that, encouraged by founder Joey Concepcion of Go Negosyo (“Be Business-Minded,” my translation), private-sector Philippines is helping mentor groups. I am reading the news specifically dated Tuesday, 20 Dec 2022, on counseling entrepreneurs in agriculture.

Kristina Maralit says “Ex-DA Chief Beefs Up Go Negosyo” (21 Dec 2022, The Manila Times, manilatimes.net):

To further enhance the mentorship program between medium and large corporations and micro and small enterprises, former Agriculture Secretary William Dar has joined Go Negosyo's Kapatid Angat Lahat initiative as head of its agriculture program, founder Jose Maria "Joey" Concepcion 3rd announced on Tuesday.

Mr Dar is now head of the agriventure program of Go Negosyo’s “Kapatid Angat Lahat” (“Brothers All Uplifted” – my translation).

Ms Kristina further says:

Uplifting the country's agriculture sector is seen as especially crucial to job generation, a key priority of the Marcos administration and the jobs sector led by Concepcion as a member of the Private Sector Advisory Council, and having Dar onboard apparently gives Go Negosyo's efforts to help small agricultural entrepreneurs the much-needed boost.

Mr Dar himself says:

I would like to believe that there are existing models to improve upon. Now, with the coming in of Go Negosyo through the Kapatid Angat Lahat program for agro-micro-entrepreneurship, we need to [be] looking at them through a number of lenses … productivity, value chain analysis, sustainability, resiliency and inclusivity as the main areas of focus.

Emphasis: “Productivity, value chain analysis, sustainability, resiliency and inclusivity as the main areas of focus.” That is all agri-entrepreneurship.

Now I have to interrupt the good news because I know that the kind of agriculture Filipino farmers are practicing right now – Chemical Agriculture (CA) – is also generating greenhouse gases (GHGs) that generate climate change.
(“Climate” image from weforum.org)

That tells me that the Department of Agriculture (DA) has much prior work to do first to convince farmers to adopt Organic Agriculture (OA), which is a method or practice of Regenerative Agriculture (RA). Because, yes, OA is designed to simultaneously solve Farmer Poverty and resolve Climate Change.

Not to worry about Mr Dar. I have written: “William Dar, My Favorite Secretary Of Agriculture, Now Champions ‘Regenerative Agriculture’ – Via Organic Farming, We Should Have Our P20/kg Rice Within 6 Months!” (EarthMinds, blogspot.com). So, Go Negosyo’s “Kapatid Angat Lahat” – that is, improved economic lives for all – can happen only to farmers applying organic agriculture principles and practices.

Why because OA automatically reduces the cost of farming, from expensive chemical fertilizers and pesticides, to inexpensive organic fertilizers (and organic pesticides, when and if necessary).

Low costs = high returns, right?

The problem is that our agricultural institutions, from instruction to research to extension, including my beloved UP Los Baños, are still promoting Chemical Agriculture! “The global food system is responsible for 21-37% of annual [greenhouse gas] emissions” (John Lynch et al 2021, ncbi.nlm.nih.gov). We cannot continue to ignore Climate Change and agriculture’s contribution in terms of emissions that exacerbate climate change!@517

 

BBM Sir, Help! As Secretary Of Agriculture, You Can Solve Farmer Poverty And Resolve Climate Change! If You’re Listening …

Here is a technical challenge to President Ferdinand “BBM” Marcos Jr, a half-blooded Ilocano, by Frank A Hilario, a full-blooded Ilocano – it’s Chemical Agriculture (CA) vs Organic Agriculture (OA). It is the least BBM can do as acting Secretary of Agriculture – show government efforts to solve Farmer Poverty, simultaneously resolve Climate Change!

(“Urgent” from Siemens, siemens-stiftung.org, “Sunset” from Climate Reality Project, climaterealityproject.org/)

Actually, it’s your science versus my science. Your CA dates back to 1908 when the Americans founded the UP College of Agriculture (now UP Los Baños) – that’s 114 years ago. My OA dates back to 1965 when I discovered in the open shelves of the library of UPLB the books written by American gentleman farmer Edward H Faulkner titled Plowman’s Folly (published 1943) and Soil Development (1953), both published by the University of Oklahoma Press. The first book argued against plowing; on the cover, the second book instructed the reading farmer:

“Grow soil while growing crops… or lose both.”

I, Filipino Agriculturist (UPLB BSA major in Ag Edu 1965), have followed Mr Faulkner’s advice and come up with a rotavator adjustment that does exactly this: “Rich Soil, Rich Crop!”

My claim is backed up by the decades of experience of my brother-in-law Enso Casasus in my hometown, Asingan, Pangasinan. His neighbor farmers imitated everything that they saw him do – but they did not notice what he was doing with his rotavator: creating an organic mulch all over the field simultaneously with cultivating the soil. An original concept of mine.

So,, today, I challenge BBM to assign P17 Million from the Department of Agriculture (DA) funds for a techno demo of 70 hectares planted to hybrid rice: 35 ha in the City of Batac, the hometown of his late father ex-President Ferdinand “FM” Marcos, and 35 ha in my hometown, which is also the hometown of ex-President Fidel Valdez Ramos.

Yes Sir, BBM, this proposed DA project I call “The 5Ms Challenge for PH Agriculture” – Mayamang Lupa, Mataas na Ani, Malusog na Mamimili, Malaking Kita, Masayang Kalikasan. (Rich Earth, High Harvests, Healthy Consumers, Big Earnings, Happy Surroundings).

Here are details of the 5 Ms Techno Demo…

Batac plots:
30 ha planted to hybrid rice, soil cultivated according to PhilRice recommendations, rice grown using the System of Rice Intensification (SRI) method originated in 1983 by Jesuit priest Fr Henri De Laulanie in Madagascar, with equidistant planting of single seedlings. Grown with chemical fertilizers and pesticides, following recommendations of rice hybrid companies;
5 ha planted to hybrid rice grown according to the individual practice of 5 volunteer local farmers.

Asingan plots:
30 ha planted to hybrid rice, grown with soil cultivated via the rotavator operated under my strict instructions.
5 ha to hybrid rice, grown according to practice of 5 volunteer local farmers.

Very Important: The 5Ms Project will be implemented via selected cooperatives in Batac and Asingan, 1 coop each. This will help wake up any “sleeping” farmers as to what they can do to help themselves!@517

 

This Teacher Would Like To Teach The Teachers How To Teach!?

“Potter’s Place School” – My youngest daughter Graciela “Ela” Antonia arrived home early morning Tuesday, 20 Dec, for the Christmas break from teaching at Potter’s Place in El Nido, Palawan. Ela has been trained at UP Los Baños College of Human Ecology (CHE), BS Human Ecology, and she herself finished high school at Cahbriba Alternative School in Los Baños, Laguna.

Also, there is a “relative” connection – The owners of Potter’s Place are Angelo Laririt and Mariglo Ilowa – Marigs is the sister of Armando Venerando “Toto” Ilowa, the husband of another daughter of mine, Teresa Leonor. Toto and Teresa live in Quezon City.

I am myself a teacher – an alumnus of UP Los Baños, BSA Ag Edu, 1965; I passed the 1^st Civil Service Teacher’s Exam in 1964, 80.6%. Once a teacher, always a teacher. And so I googled for “Potter’s Place” and got those images: top image from the website Potter’s Place, pottersplaceschool.com; bottom image from the Facebook page, facebook.com.

On its website, Potter’s Place says: “It is about children, it is about education … Potter's Place School, from Nursery to Fourth Year High School, is truly about learning and experiencing life in a nurturing and affirming environment.”

Established in El Nido, Palawan in Year 2000, it opened to two pre-school children. Every year thereafter, a grade level was added ladder-type, till the pioneering batch finished primary school. We are committed to take them all the way to the end of high school. We are committed to these children's future.

I have just been browsing Potter’s Place Facebook page and it’s a revelation – there are no boring pages; I say the Webmaster is as interested as Potter’s Place is interesting in itself.

That said, as a teacher of high school (and college) students, I advise that Potter’s Place study and apply the theory of Multiple Intelligences (MI) as proposed to the whole world by Harvard psychologist Howard Gardner. I first learned about MI at Cahbriba, introduced by Teacher Pilar who had come back with husband Cielito F Habito from his studies abroad (yes, he was NEDA head once).

Here are the intelligences (alphabetical):

1.     Bodily-Kinesthetic Intelligence – “Body-Movement Smart”

2.     Existential Intelligence – “Life Smart”

3.     Interpersonal Intelligence – “People Smart”

4.     Intrapersonal Intelligence – “Self Smart”

5.     Linguistic-Verbal Intelligence – “Word Smart”

6.     Logical-Mathematical Intelligence – “Number/Reasoning Smart”

7.     Musical Intelligence – “Sound Smart”

8.     Naturalistic Intelligence – “Nature Smart”

9.     Spatial Intelligence – “Picture Smart”.

Mr Gardner’s MI theory, now accepted worldwide, is telling us teachers that there are at least 9 kinds of learners, each of them with their own intelligence or smart. Thus, if a learner is weak in numbers, it doesn’t mean s/he’s stupid – the teacher has to allow each learner to discover her/his talent among the 9 intelligences or smarts.

Today, a secondary or college teacher gives an objective-type test – s/he is measuring only logical-mathematical intelligence.

If the teacher employs Gardner’s Theory of Multiple Intelligences? Not one learner will be unhappily labelled “bobo” or “boba” (dull) – to each one’s special intelligence. With MI, all learners will live happily ever after!@517

 

My “Hybrids Zero-8” Challenge To Any Philippine Hybrid Rice Company To Fund My Reinvention Of The Rotavator

Continuing my Hybrids Zero-8 Challenge – I call now on any hybrid rice company in the Philippines to fund my reinvention of the off-the-shelf locally available rotavator to produce a PH hybrid rotavator that guarantees farming low cost & high returns. Right now, with my strict instructions for operation, an off-the-shelf rotavator can automatically create an “organic mulch” and spread it all over the field – no fertilizer necessary, no organic fertilizer to apply, and no further cultivation after that single rotavation!

The other day, Monday, I blogged “PH Hybrid Rice Companies – Challenge For You To Fund A Central Luzon Techno Demo With FAH As Project Leader Using His ‘Hybrid Rotavator’” (The Editor In Chief, blogspot.com). I am offering more details in this essay.
(“Rotavator” from shutterstock.com)

My “label” of the accompanying image in that earlier essay says it all:
“Hybrid Rice + Hybrid Rotavator = Super Rich Harvests!” – Frank A Hilario.

In an Indian blog, m.i.t.r.a. tells us “How to Use Rotavator Machine and Its Benefits” (mitraweb.in, also source of “Rotomaster” image).

m.i.t.r.a. says, “A rotavator [cuts into] the soil… allowing everything planted to thrive.”

I say, “A rotavator breaks the soil, to enable it to ‘breathe’ and therefore allows your crops to grow roots and prosper.”

m.i.t.r.a. says, “The dividing of soil churns and aerates the soil, [producing] a more fertile growing climate.”

I say, “The rotavator digs up and aerates the soil, good for crops growing.”

m.i.t.r.a. says, “Before rotavating new ground, you must eliminate any weeds a couple of days ahead of time.”:

I say, “Eliminating the weeds is a waste of a natural resource for enriching the soil! My hybrid rotavator is designed to automatically cut simultaneously the soil and weeds together and spread the mix all over the field. This creates a natural organic mulch!

m.i.t.r.a. says, “If you rotavate through weeds, they could get caught in the Rotavator tractor [blades] and spread around the land.

I say, “Precisely! That’s the whole point of proper rotavation – producing that organic mulch. My hybrid rotavator cuts into the soil and weeds, mixes them, and spreads the mixture on the field in one rotary motion – and repeats and repeats.”

m.i.t.r.a. says above the “Rotomaster” image: “Best Soil Pulverization.”

I say, “If you don’t go beyond pulverizing your soil with your rotavator, you are missing the hidden virtue of that machine!”

m.i.t.r.a. says, “Using [the rotavator] can benefit you like it can help the soil level the ground and drain away any water that is [excessive on] the surface.”

I say, “What m.i.t.r.a. misses is that the purpose of rotavation is not so much to level the ground as to enrich it with organic matter from the weeds (and any crop refuse left after harvest). Yes, the excess water will go.”

I am speaking from the decades-long rotavator experience of my brother-in-law Lorenzo Casasus in my hometown Asingan, Pangasinan. He had been using my personal strict rotavator instructions. (See my 2018 essay, “The Lesson of the Rotavator,” Organic Country, blogspot.com).@517