“Farming, The Biggest Job In The World” – BASF. Literally & Figuratively, “That’s Where You’ll Find Me! Not Somewhere Over The Rainbow” – Frank A Hilario

BBM Sir, I have been reading and re-reading your inaugural address, all 2,675 words of it, because I wanted to find out where I would, if I could, fit in – and I found it, unsurprisingly, in Agriculture – I’m a journalist and an alumnus of UP Los Baños, 1965. What special gift do I bring to Agriculture in these Marcosiantimes? I am that one recognized by the UPLB Alumni Association: “Outstanding Alumnus For Creative Writing.” The one and only in 100 years.

To bring good news out of farming, we have to promote good, better, best farming! Via good, better, best agri journalism!
(“Good News” image from Stroud, stroudcenter.org)

Like you have to study to be good at being President, I Ilocano had to study to become what I thought I was good at: Creative Writing – in a foreign language, English.

We don’t have any journalist group active in promoting Agriculture for good beyond the bad – none, zero.

BBM Sir, you are the interim Secretary of Agriculture. “Congrats!” And “Good luck!” You have chosen to work first-things-first. As BASF puts it: “Farming, the biggest job the world.” And you must realize it that it’s true, as President of your country!

What can I offer you – our country – that other journalists or writers can/not offer? My dedication to Agriculture, being a not-so-poor Ilocano farmer’s son from Asingan, Pangasinan, and an alumnus of UP Los Baños, 1965. Singularly, as “Outstanding Alumnus for Creative Writing 2011,” I am the first and the only one so far in the 100+ years of the entire UP System.

Actually, I have already written about what I wish you would do: Form the media group I call “BBM Media” – [see my essay, “BBM Sir, About The Negative Media, If You Want It Done Right, You Have To Do It Yourself! This Ilocano Recommends Setting Up A Media Group Called “Bloggers for Building Minds Media (BBM Media) – THiNK! Journalism For National Development,” 25 June 2022, Towards A New Eden, towardsaneweden.blogspot.com].

Note the name of my blog: Towards A New Eden – If you have to dream, why not dream huge?! THiNK! Journalism For National Development – that is what is missing in Philippine media, as in other countries. Whether print or digital, media tend to be negative, not positive – to deconstruct, not construct.

Among other things, you said in your inaugural address:

This is a historic moment for us all. I feel it deep within me. You, the people have spoken and it is resounding. When my call for unity started to resonate with you, it did so because it echoed your yearning, mirrored your sentiments, and expressed your hopes for family, for country and for a better future. That is why it reverberated and amplified as it did, to deliver the biggest electoral mandate in the history of Philippine democracy.

As a journalist and agriculturist, I am thinking of helping deliver The Biggest Growth of Agriculture in the history of Philippine democracy!@517

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

How PH’s Hybrid Rice Companies Can Increase Their Sales – But Do Farmers Have To Spray All Those Pesticides!?

Image
First, let me be clear: I am in favor of hybrid rice as a good part of the solution for the Philippines to attain rice self-sufficiency – I hope this year, 2021. I have already written about it; try “How Good Are Hybrid Rices In The Philippines [1] ?” (06 January 2021, BraveNewWorld@PH ) Today, Sunday, 10 January 2021, browsing on Facebook, I notice that the hybrid rice companies in my country are not minding their own business! I mean, they are not actively assisting the farmers taking care of their plantings. I found that out when on Facebook, I scanned the page “Usapang Hybrid Rice” (Talking Hybrid Rice), “Group by Tatang Juan” (above, top image). At this Facebook page, I read the entries and noticed that the farmers’ questions, answers and comments seemed innocent – but they were not. It has something to do with this: The hybrid rice companies in the Philippines are not providing adequate advice and information to farmers. And that is not good – it may even be dangerous. Her
Read more

“Healthy Foods Come From Healthy Farms” – Frank A Hilario

Image
Food crops destroyed by floods, forests destroyed by fires – what other signs do you want from the Heavens Above? God! “Good comes from Good” says Webstaurant Store – only healthy farming can bring healthy fields and homes! (“Good Comes” image from webstaurantstore.com , “Whatever good” from brainyquote.com ) “Climate Change“ is forcing us to redefine “Primate Change“ and I, Agriculturist and writer engaged in what today I call “Communication for Village Development in the 21st Century” (CoViD21) in the last 42 years – now preach Regenerative Agriculture (RA) in the villages. Primates, only RA will save us from climate change! That is a CoViD21 action/reaction from my BSA Ag Edu, UP Los Baños, 1965 and continuing self-study with the advent of the Internet in PH in 1991. Wide thoughts come from wide reading. Here now is my considered definition: Regenerative Agriculture is any principle, process, procedure, or practice applied that repeatedly returns, revives, resuscitates, o
Read more

01, Less Is More – How PhilRice Can Reduce A Rice Farmer’s Total Expenses By 51%!

Image
This essay arose from several Facebook comments on my earlier essay “07, The More The Merrier – P 1B From DA Supportive Of 10 Bataan Model Farms Leading PH Agriculture [1] ” (21 February 2021, BrainScapes ). This is my comment in that essay that readers mainly commented on: I don’t know why, but 60-year old foreign-funded IRRI and 35-year-old PH-funded PhilRice have advocated neither high-value crops (HVCs) after rice nor fertigation, when these technologies are not that new. Joy Duldulao said: “ PhilRice advocates HVCs thru its Palayamanan and FutureRice programs.” Eufemio Rasco replied: “ PhilRice should not limit itself to advocacy. Advocacy is for those who don’t have the resources. Show by example how the challenge of scaling up can be done in its own farms! Mainstream Palayamanan!” Roberto Acosta said: “ Joy Duldulao, maybe it’s high time to change the success measurement matrix of PhilRice – from increasing rice yield to increasing rice farmers' income and better lives
Read more