Healthy Farms for Healthy Foods

Good fortune doesn’t come as golden as this: The Department of Agriculture (DA) has awarded a total of P 54.5 million to Cordilleran farmers as of 23 Dec 2021. ANN says on 23 Dec, “Agri-Stakeholders Inaugurate P 26.7M BAPTC Processing & Packaging Facility; (DA) Turns Over Marketing & Consolidation Grants to FCAs, Tinoc LGU [1] ” (Author Not Named, Business.facebook.com ). The P 26.7M was for the Benguet Agri-Pinoy Trading Center (BAPTC) “to enhance postharvest services to farmers by providing equipment for postharvest, processing, packing ,,,to improve the quality of products.” The fund is under the DA Bayanihan II stimulus package jointly implemented by the DA and the Benguet State University (BSU) based at La Trinidad, Benguet. The BAPTC is on the Strawberry Fields at the BSU campus. BSU President Felipe Salaing Comila committed BSU to provide “the best experts in the University to help and assist towards the (improvement) of trading vegetables as well as in the better pac

4 years ago, exactly on 30 Dec 2017, our National Hero Jose Rizal haunted, so to speak, Sen Kiko Pangilinan , and Farmer Senator Kiko broadcasted the following seeds of thoughts for all to watch grow and harvest the fruits therefrom, both in English and Tagalog (long titles with big-sized texts mine): (Rizal & rice image [1] from FutureRice.com; texts in English and Tagalog from “Sen. Kiko Pangilinan Remembers Rizal As A Farmer [2] , ” kikopangilinan.com ) “I Choose To Remember Jose Rizal As A Farmer Who Reminds Us That We Need To Measure Development By How Abundant Are The Farmers’ Own Dining Tables” – Kiko Pangilinan, 30 Dec 2017 Today, we remember our national hero, a writer, a doctor, and a martyr. Today, I choose to remember Jose Rizal as a farmer who soiled his hands and feet to learn the basics of agriculture, studying how to make the land he bought near Dapitan productive. During his exile on the land in the coastal barangay of Talisay, he planted rice and corn and vege

I am an alumnus of the University of the Philippines College of Agriculture (UPCA, now UP Los Baños). Today, I want to celebrate the martyrdom of our National Hero by talking about Ateneo’s favorite son who was, surprised? Farmer Jose Rizal! (above image from Rizal Shrine in Talisay [1] , from Phtourguide.com ) I am reading the article “Rizal As A Farmer In Dapitan [2] ” on the JoseRizal.Ph website, with this 1 st paragraph: To prove to his people that farming is (as) good a profession as medicine, Rizal became a farmer in Dapitan. In a letter to his sister, Lucia, on 12 Feb 1896, he said: "We cannot all be doctors; it is necessary that there would be some to cultivate the soil." "We cannot all be doctors; it is necessary that there would be some to cultivate the soil." This is surprising as Rizal is up to now Ateneo’s favorite son. Yet Ateneo forgot Agriculture, one of the courses it was already offering in Rizal’s time. Does that mean that the Spanish Ateneo

In 1968, I taught Organic Farming at Xavier U College of Agriculture in Cagayan De Oro City, that which Nicanor “Nicky” Perlas acknowledges he owes me. He went on to embrace Biodynamic Farming and win the International Right Livelihood Award . He proceeded to proselytize for Sustainable Development and I owed him in turn. Whatever agriculture you do belongs to sustainable development if (1) technically feasible, (2) economically viable, (3), environmentally sound, and (4) socially acceptable. Sorry, but today, 53 years later, I am proselytizing against Sustainable Development – because I have realized that it is a humanitarian concept but in fact it is in favor of climate change without our knowledge! I am a diehard Roman Catholic; the image you see above is from the website cbcp.org of the Christian Bible Church of the Philippines (CBCP). The initials “CBCP” had belonged to the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines as early as 1945 – nonetheless, this Catholic salutes th

In this Digital Age, innovation, or creativity, is a must – you must be living in the past if you did not believe so! After pointing out sadly yesterday (Monday) in my blog that the National Academy of Science & Technology (NAST) did not consider Agriculture as an area for Innovation (see my essay, “With Pagtanaw 2050, NAST Dreams Blue; With His 22” ViewSonic, Frank Dreams Green [1] ,”  27 Dec 2021, RegINA, Queen Mother Earth ), I am glad to find out today (Tuesday) that 2 years ago yet, PRRD was quite innovative and signed Republic Act (RA) 11293 (“Philippine Innovation Act”) on 17 April 2019. One of the policies in the Implementing Rules & Regulations for RA 11293 as contained in the “Joint NEDA-DOST-DTI Administrative Order No. 01 Series Of 2020” is this: The State recognizes the importance of an effective and efficient innovation ecosystem that addresses and delivers action in various policy areas, including MSME development, education, trade, investment, finance, and a

The PH National Academy of Science & Technology (NAST) came out last month with the book titled Pagtanaw 2050 (Foresight 2050). To NAST, the future Philippines is blue: “A Prosperous, Archipelagic, Maritime Nation.” NAST is attached to the Department of Science & Technology (DoST). Of Pagtanaw, Geraldine Bulaon-Ducusin says, “DoST Innovation Is Not Just Technologies, Says National Academician [1] ” (24 November 2021, DoST.gov.ph ): The Pagtanaw 2050 compendium listed 207 technologies that will push the country to become a prosperous archipelagic, maritime nation in 30 years. Foresight 2050 focuses on technologies to turn the Philippines into a wealthy archipelago from treasures found in its island waters. Among the key operational areas identified are the following: blue economy, governance, business and trade, digital technology/ICT, science education and talent retention, food security and nutrition, health systems, energy, water, environmental change, shelter, transpo

I almost forgot: The Rappler story on the Conference of Parties #26 (CoP26) in Glasgow, Scotland, was a huge disappointment to me, not because of the reporters but because of what the CoP26 did and did not do! The news written by Tony La Viña, Joy Reyes & Tonichi Regalado dated 02 Dec 2021, “Our Experience In The Glasgow Climate Conferenc e [1] , ” of 1,315 words (including title, excluding authors), showed me, a climate change activist since 2007, that: CoP26 was 2 times a disaster: (1) a chaos of procedure (CoPr) as well as (2) a curtailment of participation (CoPa) – CoPr because of the pandemic restrictions, which is understandable , and CoPa because of the non-inclusion of climate activists and farmers, which is unforgivable ! The Rappler reporters do declare categorically: As always, the real work lies outside of COP. It lies in government policies created after the fortnight of negotiations, and the projects and plans implemented post-COP. Does Rappler mean we citizens

Today Christmas Day, 25 December 2021, here are 40 Live & Love Tips to love more ourselves, our families, and others, the way God wants us to love. Every single day. Inspired by a Facebook sharing of Filipina Isabel Mildred Anunciado Tan , what follows is my editing of “50 Life Lessons [1] ”  by American writer Regina Brett ( Reginabrett.com ); I have reduced the list for non-Americans; no numbering, but it is now a biblically meaningful list of 40: *Life isn't fair, but it's still good.” “When in doubt, just take the next small step.” “Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.” “Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.” “Cry with someone: It's more healing than crying alone.” “It's OK to get angry with God: He can take it.” “When it comes to chocolate, resistance is futile.” “Make peace with your past so it won't screw up the present.” “Don't compare your life to others'. You have no idea what their journeys are all about

Facebook sharing today, Thursday, 23 Dec 2021: I see Secretary of Agriculture William Dar acknowledging the multi-faceted problem in the “Hike In Fertilizer Prices:” The Department of Agriculture, through the Fertilizer and Pesticide Authority (FPA), recognizes the ongoing plight of local farmers relative to the hike in fertilizer prices. With increased farm production expenses (vis-à-vis increased fertilizer prices) comes a reduction of profit margins. Why are the prices of fertilizers increasing? Can FPA control the prices? FPA attributes the current price hike to the following: 1) liberalization of fertilizers; 2) the country as a net importer of fertilizers; 3) strengthened global fertilizer demand; 4) increased prices of raw materials, and 5) increase(d) transport and logistical costs. I say: Sellers of fertilizers care more about their margins than about farmers’ incomes. We all know: It’s all Economics, Costs & Returns, and nobody can break those Laws. Consequently, the

In the Philippines, corn is second to rice as staple food – how about farmers’ earnings? Early this December, I’m looking at P 2.8 Million net income of a group of 25 Cotabato corn farmers in their 2 nd cropping, an individual net of P 112,000. There must be gold in dem dar hills! This is the inspiring output of the labors of the “ 993 Farmer’s Association ” in Barangay 993 in Alamada, Cotabato in the group's   2 nd corn cropping, with the full assistance of the Special Area for Agriculture Development (SAAD) Program of the Department of Agriculture (DA). It’s an outstanding lesson in public-private cooperation in farming. The report is by Jennifer Valcobero (17 Dec 2021, “Cotabato Corn Farmers Earn P 4.1M From Second Cropping [1] ,”   saad.da.gov.ph ). The harvest was from 28 Nov to 05 Dec by the 25-member group farming 25 ha of corn. Association President Nelly Eulogio said: I’m so grateful to SAAD for reaching our far-flung area and lending their help and sustaining our ne

The United Nations (UN) has always been Negative about Climate Change, while I have always been Positive about Primate Change! In 2007, I blogged, “The Boys Who Cried Wolf. Stop The Fire. Stay The Ice. Start The Peace [1] ” (07 Feb, Frank A Hilario , Blogspot.com ). Referring to the report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), I wrote: “In relation to data in the past 250 years, it has been seen that: There is global warming….” 2007 was the year Al Gore won the Nobel Peace Prize because of his one-man campaign against global warming/climate change. 14 years and the globe keeps warming. To stop Climate Change, we need Primate Change! On 31 March 2007, I blogged, “Primate Change? Or Climate Change? You Choos e! [2] ”  – The Blogal Village Voice” ( The American Frank , WordPress.com ). We primates have not changed. And so we have the IPCC reporting, “Devastating Floods, Heat, Droughts To Worsen In PH For Next 30 Years – UN Report [3] ”  (12 August 2021, Pia Ranad