Teenage Schoolers – How Abot TALA Can Become Abot KAYA, Can Afford!

This is for teenagers 12-18 years old who want an alternative school.

Last month, Jojo G Silvestre wrote “Joei Villarama: Advocate Of Self-Directed Learning” (18 October 2020, Tribune.net.ph[1]).

Is Self-Directed Learning right for your teenager?

This is a subject close to my heart. Know that I am a high school teacher, UP '65, Civil Service Professional. So, while Miss Joei thinks of those teenagers learning outside regular schools, I am thinking of teenagers learning inside higher educational institutions, HEIs, and state colleges & universities, SCUs. While retired, even at 80, I would love to teach those HEIs and SCUs teenagers to teach themselves!

Mr Silvestre writes:

Joei Villarama… is founder of Abot Tala, a co-learning hub for young people, ages 12 to 18, who are better suited to discover for themselves their gifts and talents, set goals and dream freely with the guidance of mentors.

“Abot Tala” in Tagalog (Filipino) can mean “Reach For The Star.” It is Your Star – so, learn to reach it yourself!

Abot Tala does not yet have a school compound of its own, and Miss Joei has been moving Heaven and Earth to raise money to establish that dream School of the Heart (my term). One way is donations. Mr Silvestre writes:

Today, Sunday, is the last day for bidding for 12 art pieces being auctioned online by Leon Gallery for the benefit of Abot Tala. Featured artists are Tessa Alindogan, Monica E Castillo, Arlene Villaver, Rellie Liwag and Jane.

Art for Heart.

Abot Tala is an alternative to school. Miss Joei says:

Abot Tala offers them (young people) the freedom to design and pursue their unique education path with the guidance of mentors who are their cheerleaders.

I note: “Abot Tala offers them the freedom to design and pursue their unique education path” – that is somewhat vague to parents and not attractive enough to teenagers. Today, I think I know one approach to convincing teenagers along with their parents to enthusiastically “enroll” at Abot Tala:

Give each teenager unlimited access to the Internet!

Then I’m sure teenagers and their parents will get excited about being part of Abot Tala. I imagine donations coming in as cash, computers and access to facilities. Financing the school rises from Purgatory to Heaven. Abot Tala becomes Abot Kaya, Can Afford!

Unlimited Internet means unlimited searches for each child to discover universes previously unknown, and along the way discover one’s hidden talent in athletics, dance, math, music, painting whatever.

From “Tala,” I’ll call this Internet approach
“Discover Your Star.”

Your star is your talent. Not only learners in independent schools like Abot Tala can discover their stars – also high schools in higher educational institutions, and state colleges & universities.

Let each schooler feel like a scholar searching one’s genius among the geniuses featured in the Internet, not the least but not limited to Wikipedia. Then, sooner or later, that teenager’s heart’s desire will appear as a bright Star.

The Star discovered can then be the guide for college studies – or pursuit of entrepreneurship.@517

 

---

[1]https://tribune.net.ph/index.php/2020/10/18/joei-villarama-advocate-of-self-directed-learning/?fbclid=IwAR2afOD5gpC0eCCpQT0OTFmq15_pqBhBsZCTWHntzg6sZioYiRcApncj3Vo

Maria Ressa’s Investigative Journalism Versus Frank H's Investing Journalism

Let me now investigate if multi-awardee Maria Ressa may be the Brave New Girl that I conceived expressed initially in the name of this 2020 blog, “A Brave New World PH[1]” (07 August 2020, blogspot.com)? Above, see superimposed image below right.

I, the University of the Philippines’ historically the one and only “Outstanding Alumnus For Creative Writing” (awarded 2011), a self-styled journalist investing in village development since 45 years ago – printfrom 1975 and blog since 2005 – do I envy Maria Ressa for the world’s honors she has earned, such as TIME 100, “list of the world’s most influential people in 2019” and, in March 2020, the TIME’s list of the most influential women of the century[2]”? (Camille Elemia, 21 October 2020, “Maria Ressa In Prince Harry Interview: 'Duterte, Zuckerberg On Same Page'”).

No. I Frank A Hilario at 80 envy not Maria Ressa at 57, because the journalistic honors she has received, well-deserved as they are, are for the glory of her people (Rappler), not the glory of her people (Filipinos).

No. She writes Anti while I write Pro.

Anti: Maria Ressa writes against much of Rodrigo Duterte’s actuations and accomplishments as President of the Philippines; and against Mark Zuckerberg for his Facebook’s countermoves against what it perceives as public bad, not public good.

Pro: I write for the Filipino farmers, for their liberation from poverty into leading happy & sustainable village lives. For that, I subscribe 100% to the “The New Thinking for Agriculture” being propagated by Secretary of Agriculture William Dar for the prosperity of all farmers.

It is not that Maria Ressa does not care about her people, but she cares much more about being Anti than Pro!     

As a creative writer, I started as an Anti. In 1960 or 1961, when I was Sophomore at the University of the Philippines’ College of Agriculture, now UP Los Baños, the US Peace Corps Volunteers came to Los Baños for language training: Bisaya, Ilocano, Tagalog, whatever. I wrote in the student paper Aggie Green & Gold that we did not need the Volunteers at all! Even older than Maria Ressa, my thinking has been fiercely independent for 60 years.

Miss Camille says (cited above):

In a #Time100Talks discussion, Rappler’s Maria Ressa said Filipinos are fighting impunity in tech platforms amid the weaponization of online spaces against critics of the Duterte administration.

I am not worried about such weaponization because Facebook is only my steppingstone, not my platform.

The US Declaration of Independence on 04 July 1776 starts with these words:

We hold these truths to be self-evident,
That all men are created equal
That they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights
That among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

Now then, let all men be informed that:

Maria Ressa’s pursuit of happiness is to keep on writing about the public bad c/o President Rodrigo Duterte?

Frank A Hilario’s pursuit of happiness is to keep on writing about the public good c/o Secretary of Agriculture William Dar!@517

---

[1]https://bravenewworldph.blogspot.com/2020/08/a-brave-new-world-ph.html

[2]https://www.rappler.com/world/global-affairs/time-100-talks-maria-ressa-prince-harry-duterte-zuckerberg-same-page?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&fbclid=IwAR3uJ-ioTLaLyscZF3hyFoJQzGiXFLDH5MdpWem3odYcBk6_vhuwIedqFaw

PH Media & DA Officials – Who Are The Suplados?

James De Sousa says, 
“One of the media’s primary roles 
in our world is to inform[1].” 
(above images[2] from Medium.com)

Last year, after William Dar was appointed Secretary of Agriculture by President Rodrigo Duterte, if I remember right,, Mr Dar and his team at the Department of Agriculture, DA, visited the media offices of Inquirer and Manila Times, requesting for active media support for inclusive aggie development in the Philippines.

Good reception. Pictures taken of the media visits, reports written, published online.

The End.

No dedicated news. No part-by-part media reports of what the DA is up under the new leadership. No serious reporting about “The New Thinking for Agriculture” preached by Mr Dar with its “8 Paradigms.” No media-initiated interviews with any of the new officials of the DA, not even with Mr Dar.

With all the lockdowns and Covid-19 scares, we cannot expect the media people out in the countryside going after stories:

Still, the media must inform the people.
So, why not inform with Science for Development?
“Science with a human face” – ICRISAT.

Those 5 words in quotes above made up the slogan the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics, ICRISAT, adopted with Mr Dar as Director General 2000-2014. It was for ICRISAT based in India; today I mean it for PH media: PH media informing the Filipinos about agricultural knowledge with a human face.

If the media people cannot go out, they can interview Mr Dar for instance about:

Where is Ani & Kita coming from
and where is it going?

Question: Why have the media not been doing something like that?!

Because media people have not been taught in any schools of journalism about inclusive development– where the media are included in helping science move from lab to field, theory to practice.

Just because they are not directly involved, media do not see that media are not exempt from agriculture and what is happening out there, lockdown or not.

And yet all the media gleefullypick up the story when a farmer leader or group speaks out against something or other in agriculture! Such as low buying price of rice – and blaming it on government.

PH media do not have to know much about agriculture to be able to write on it intelligently and productively. They can always ask questions, including silly ones – the interviewee won’t laugh.

If PH media cannot visit the cities, towns and villages in the Philippines near or far from Metro Manila, they can always interview DA officials who are or who have been there. Easy – digitally!

It is not that Secretary of Agriculture William Dar is not approachable – I know him to be not suplado, not standoffish, not cold, not unsociable.

On second thought, the media are the ones who may be suplados! They are not friendly enough to approach Mr Dar and ask questions. If they have doubts, they can arrange for a virtual multi-interview anytime. If they don’t understand the subject matter? I say, keep asking questions. Otherwise, they are suplados!@517

---

[1]https://kindofculturedgentlemen.wordpress.com/2017/09/11/the-role-of-media-in-society/
[2]https://medium.com/@kashafmurtza655/role-of-media-in-society-760db2844ae3

“Masagana 2020” – Learning From Mr Marcos & Masagana 99

Today, Friday, 30 October 2020, some 48 years after Martial Law, someone sent me a Facebook PM on “‘Marcos’ M-99 A Failure’: Perfect Illustration Of The Yellow Mindset[1],” the column of Rigoberto D Tiglao that appears in the 03 June 2020 issue of the Manila Times.net. Now that I have read the whole column:

I am reminded where the farmers failed Masagana 99!
And I don’t want that to happen to the New PH Agriculture under Secretary of Agriculture William Dar.

(1)   Yes, Masagana 99 succeeded for PH rice farmers.

(2)   Yes, (some) PH rice farmers sabotaged Masagana 99!

Mr Tiglao says:

The claim that the dictator Marcos’ Masagana 99 (M-99) program was a total failure is an excellent example of the Yellows’ invented, Manichaean narrative of that era – that it was the country’s Dark Age, that absolutely nothing good came out of it.

Mr Marcos declared a land reform program, whereby all lands of 5 hectares or more owned by a single individual were put under control by the government.

In retaliation against the agrarian reform program launched by Marcos, landlords reduced, and even in some areas totally ceased, extending credit to their tenants. All these factors led to an unprecedented 20 percent fall in palay (unmilled rice) production in 1972.

Mr Marcos had to do something. Mr Tiglao says:

Marcos’ technocrats – principally his much-admired agriculture secretary Arturo Tanco… had to design and implement the M-99 program. It was not formulated out of the blue by academics but was based on Tanco’s experience as President of the World Food Council and (member of the board of trustees) of the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI).

Masagana 99 succeeded – I was in and out of UP Los Baños when that happened. Rice yields went up from 1.7 metric tons/ha in 1970 to the current 4 MT/ha.

It was a bold experiment that channeled from 1973 an estimated P4.5 billion (P240 billion in today’s value) in loans at concessional rates to small farmers, for them to adopt new rice varieties and technology. It was the first such massive credit program for small farmers in our country, which even socialists would hail as it meant a transfer of financial assets to the poorest sectors to be used for production.

Aye, and there’s the rub!

I was a member of the Jaycees in Los Baños in those years, and we were hearing true stories of:

educated people taking advantage of Masagana 99 loans, borrowing for 1 farm and not paying back; then borrowing for a 2^nd farm and not paying back that 2^ndloan either, etc.

And that happened all over the Philippines, so Masagana 99 failed after it succeeded.

The banks had so much money that you got the loans you wanted if you captured their hearts.

Today, I recommend Masagana 2020, emphasizing National Renewal. More the Heart.

Already there is so much money waiting for borrowers for agriculture that I want to tell the Du30 Government to Please Be Careful With Your Heart!@

---

[1]https://www.manilatimes.net/2020/06/03/opinion/columnists/topanalysis/marcos-m-99-a-failure-perfect-illustration-of-the-yellow-mindset/729063/?fbclid=IwAR3Z6Y0nCzFGSdMRFdUbMs6xAgkwYhh3uQloh6ZN6PpSlRWV0I0Bd55C8hE

Lesson From Rabiya Mateo – If You Know You Are Good, Focus On Winning. Now, Let Losers Focus On Whining!

Some contestants claimed loudly that 
Miss Iloilo Rabiya Mateo did notdeserve 
to be the new Miss Universe Philippines.

Grapes.

I write to prove to you that she
well deserved the title!

The Miss Universe Philippines finals was held 25 October 2020 in Baguio City at the Baguio Country Club (ANN, 27 October 2020, “Rabiya Mateo Addresses Post-Coronation Intrigue: 'I Need To Focus On My Real Goals'[1],” Rappler.com). During the event, there was zero audience, following lockdown protocols. In a TV 5 interview with MJ Marfori aired Monday, 26 October, “Rabiya defended herself and said the controversies were painful, but she decided to take the high road.”

At the end of the day, this is a competition. And being the bigger person in the picture, I need to understand where they are coming from. That’s what a queen should do and (how she) should act.

She understands that when you aim high and fall short, you feel frustrated – and you look for excuses.

And naintinidhan ko naman po (And I understand them), but at the end of the day, I need to focus myself on my real goals – which (are) to win and bring honor to my country.

Hello Universe, here she comes!

The losing candidates – never mind their names and their number – were claiming “that questions were given to her in advance” – insinuating that that’s how she got her answers right and well. Ah, but Rabiya is a cum laude!

Jeline Malasig says (26 October 2020, “Alessandra De Rossi, Pageant Fans Want ‘Tea’ Spilled As Cryptic Posts Fan Controversy In Miss Universe Philippines 2020,” Interaksyon.philstar.com); in an Instagram story on Sunday, Miss Davao City Alaiza Malinao shared:

So deserving!!! Siya lang po nagme-makeup sa sarili niya. (She was alone applying makeup on herself.)

Habang naghihintay kami sa holding area, si Rabiya nasa gilid ‘yan nagpa-practice mag-Q&A! (While we were waiting at the holding area, Rabiya was on the side practicing Q&A!)

Nung prelims, rumarampa ‘yan sa hallway, sa labas ng holding area namin para mag-practice ng swimsuit walk niya. MASIPAG si Dzai. (During the prelims, she was doing the ramp at the hallway, outside the holding area, practicing her swimsuit walk. Dzai is hardworking.)

I have just googled, and found the appellation “Dzai” a revelation. “The… name Dzai stands for power, practicality, ambition, success, inspiration and discipline[2]” – Meaningslike.com). That’s our Miss Universe Philippines.

Rabiya did her best, and her best was good enough!

She worked hard! She’s fair! She did not cheat. She is a deserving winner! Congratulations @rabiyamateo our Miss Universe Philippines 2020! She is our queen!

I can’t say more after Miss Davao City Alaiza Malinao has spoken.

In that TV 5 interview, Rabiya said:

To be honest po, maybe because I wasn’t a frontrunner, so people didn’t expect me to win. But I know that I did everything and anything that I could during that night. And binigay ko talaga.(And I gave everything.)

A real queen gives everything!@517

---

[1]https://www.rappler.com/entertainment/pageants/miss-universe-philippines-2020-rabiya-mateo-response-accusations?utm_medium=Social&utm_campaign=Echobox&utm_source=Facebook&fbclid=IwAR1CyY3yQNHe5KZuqrQkqifxOuRPWGXFpjL9U-EU3-1Dpmg8gVXq7Yxts6M#Echobox=1603790783
[2]http://www.meaningslike.com/lastnames/name-stands-for/dzai

Rabiya Mateo Is Miss Universe Philippines – High IQ, Pretty Face, Pulchritudinous Body, Perfect Answer! And Heart Of Gold

Now then, I am 100% sure that the 
next Miss Universe proclaimed 
will come from the Philippines: 
Rabiya Mateo of Iloilo City.

High IQ – 
She is 24 years old, 5 foot 6, licensed physical therapist, and graduated cum laude (with honors) from the Iloilo Doctors Colleges[1] (Eton B Concepcion, manilastandard.net). She is Miss Iloilo 2020. Her name Rabiya means queen[2]; so she is the rare royalty with the high IQ. (above left image. with face masks[3] from Preview.ph, right image[4] from Rappler.com)

Pretty face –
Rabiya’s father is Indian, mother Ilongga (no names that I saw). Her dad left them many years ago, no reasons I can find, so I guess “Mateo” is actually the mother’s surname, for convenience. From the limited top-down view of a photo that Rabiya has shown, he looks good-looking, hence the beauteous daughter. How does a daughter grow up without a father figure? Well, Rabiya triumphed!

Pulchritudinous Body –
“Pulchritudinous” means “having great physical beauty” or “delighting the senses or exciting intellectual or emotional admiration[5]” – I did not say that! TheFreeDictionary.com did. For Rabiya, a perfect word.

Perfect Answer! –
To the question, “If you could create a new paper currency with the image of any Filipino on it, dead or alive, who would it be, and why?” she gave this perfect response (Bea Cupin, 26 October 2020, “Meet Rabiya Mateo, Miss Universe Philippines 2020[6],” Rapppler.com):

If I were given the chance, I would want to use the face of Miriam Defensor-Santiago. For those who don't know, she was an Ilongga, but what I admire about her is that she used her knowledge, her voice to serve the country, and I want to be somebody like her, somebody who puts her heart, her passion into action, and after all, she is the best President that we never had.

Heart of Gold – 
I can see now that Rabiya is going to acquire more knowledge and will use her Miss Universe voice to serve her country forever and ever – after serving the Universe 1 year, of course! She is going to be like the other distinguished Ilongga, Miriam, and put her knowledge, voice, heart and passion into action. She may even become the best Ilongga President we never had!

In fact, she has already started with the youth. Bea Cupin says (26 October 2020, “Meet Rabiya Mateo, Miss Universe Philippines 2020[7],” Rapppler.com):

During the preliminary interviews, Rabiya said the youth should “invest in (themselves),” particularly because of the noise that’s all too common both online and in real life. When you practice self-love, you get to know the right weapon in order for you to win life. I feel like right now I am ripe enough to win the competition because I've done everything that I could to become the phenomenal woman that I am," she said, without even skipping a beat.

I see Rabiya Mateo, Miss Universe Philippines, 
has 20-20 vision. She sees many things we don’t!@517

 

---

[1]https://manilastandard.net/showbitz/celebrity-profiles/337036/standard-s-choice-miss-universe-philippines-fearless-forecast.html

[2]https://manilastandard.net/showbitz/celebrity-profiles/337036/standard-s-choice-miss-universe-philippines-fearless-forecast.html

[3]https://www.preview.ph/culture/10-facts-trivia-rabiya-mateo-miss-universe-philippines-2020?ref=article_feed_1

[4]https://www.rappler.com/entertainment/pageants/miss-universe-philippines-2020-top-5-question-answer-transcript?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&fbclid=IwAR2wSCiSbWAPilxR_NhTl6RAiWMUZUQdBBk8ytvx8wlPL7jm_e01x6iRzC0

[5]https://www.thefreedictionary.com/Pulchritudinous

[6]https://www.rappler.com/entertainment/pageants/things-to-know-rabiya-mateo-miss-universe-philppines-2020-winner

[7]https://www.rappler.com/entertainment/pageants/things-to-know-rabiya-mateo-miss-universe-philppines-2020-winner

“brainstarming” – A Creative Approach In Communication For Development In Agriculture

You want to learn creative thinking leading to creative writing? Or you want a different kind of Editor? Try me, original Ilocano aboriginal. This is a guru of 45 years speaking. This is one way I can celebrate my 80 years, plus 1 month, of being me, thank God!

Just read. Here’s the me you probably don’t know who can help you in your Journalism for Agriculture – read on, this is free!

Today, Saturday, 24 October 2020, this brainstorm has been triggered by the Facebook sharing of Bruno Martinuzzi, “Virtual Brainstorming Tips And Tricks[1]” (22 October 2020, MindTools.com). Too bad, in group brainstorming, Mr Martinuzzi differentiates virtual brainstorming from in-person brainstorming – that’s artificial.

I say, in brainstorming, there is a Team of a Group, and a Team of One. Me, I am a Team of One. And there is virtual proof of what I am saying about myself. Since 2005, I have created more than 100 blogs of different fields. If you will visit one of my blogs, Creative Thinkering, https://creativethinkering.blogspot.com, you can count 971 long essays published, with this tagline: “World’s creative genius online, most prolific writer of non-fiction.” And if you visit another blog, A Magazine Called Love, https://amagazinecalledlove.blogspot.com, you can count 2,293 essays published, with the tagline, “Frank H, World’s most highly original, creative writer online.” 3,264 essays in just 2 blogs – unbelievable!

Now, this new logo & expression is an original Frank A Hilario:
brainstarming
(above main image[2] from Wrike.com)

The basic working concept of brainstarming is that from Edward de Bono, Maltese genius, and he actually calls it the principle of “Po” – the explosive Power of exploiting a suggestion, including a ridiculous or out-of-this-world idea. When brainstorming, says De Bono, even a crazy suggestion is welcome – simply think through the suggestion and a light («) may appear to illuminate the beginning of a great idea next to that crazy one! Out of the blue.

Po. During a brainstorming, alone or with a group, virtual or in-person, any think is acceptable, if crazy;  you say “Po!” and it means, “Put on!” I have been using De Bono’s Po in the last 45 years and it has never failed me.

I am now 80 years old, and have blogged at least 4,000 long essays of at least 1,000 words each (totalling about 5,000,000 words) about knowledge in Agriculture and related fields as they may affect lives positively, especially among the poor farmers; and about creative communication for development –

Why have I not run out of things to say?

There is only 1 reason: brainstarming. (Not to mention dedication and stubbornness working for a single idea – emancipation from poverty of Filipino farmers and their families.)

My creative method, which I now refer to as “brainstarming,” I want to share with anyone interested and/or train online communicators for development in Agriculture. To start, email frankahilario@gmail.com an e-copy of your article, paper, presentation, brochure, or book, and my first complete advice will be free! Why? The pleasure will be mine – and that’s priceless!@517

 

---

[1]www.mindtools.com/blog/virtual-brainstorming-tips-and-tricks/?utm_source=Facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=mtpage&fbclid=IwAR2YMcn6IYx86gs3UdQJQtzhW4Edh4LTuXw6WI8oCp3_pt-8muasplRiMhY

[2]https://www.wrike.com/blog/techniques-effective-brainstorming/