Healthy Farms for Healthy Foods

With this essay, this UP Los Baños alumnus and everyday blogger even at 81+ practicing his original brainchild “Communication for Village Development in the 21 st Century” (CoViD21) – for dreams must never die ! I challenge all PH bodies that have to do with agricultural research & development (R&D) to demonstrate any single technology (process or product) with at least 3 CoViD21 simultaneous objectives: fight unhealthy foods, fight farmer poverty, and fight climate change! “Science with a human face” was the mantra of now-Department of Agriculture (DA) head William Dar when he was Director General (DG) of the India-based International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT), 2000-2014. I am issuing this public challenge today, responding to Facebook criticisms of Gus Molina & Jose Reaño (GM&JR), which to me are anti-PH progress: (images: “CPU Mind” from Larastock , larastock.com ; “William Dar inspiring assembled people” from PNA, pna.gov.ph ...

I know William Dar champions the poor! I learned that 22 years ago as international consulting writer of the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT), of which he was Director General (DG). The above image is the cover of my 1 st ICRISAT book, Team ICRISAT Champions The Poor , published by ICRISAT in 2007 at its headquarters in Patancheru, India. The title is mine; the cover is designed by the ICRISAT artist and the photographs come from the ICRISAT collection of images. The image I want to convey today, 15 years later, is that ICRISAT gave us a Secretary of Agriculture who proved he was a Servant Leader from 2000 to 2014 as he headed that institute. He had the vision, “Science with a human face” – and with that inspired all of ICRISAT so that from being dead last ( kulelat ), the institute rose to #1 among the 15 international agricultural research agencies of CGIAR that include/d Philippine-based well-respected IRRI. I wrote in my 2007 book: Wh...

This essay has been prompted by the reactions to my previous essay, “Why Not ‘Masagana 300’ & P20/kg Rice Under President BBM?! Under His Father, President Ferdinand ‘FM’ Marcos’ ‘Masagana 99’ Miracle Rice Program, We Enjoyed Miracle Rice!” (15 June 2022, Towards A New Eden , Blogspot.com ). This is one small lesson in being creative. We all can, we have to learn from the British wit Oscar Wilde: Between the optimist and the pessimist, The difference is droll. The optimist sees the doughnut, The pessimist the hole! (images: Donut from BakerBoy.com, business.facebook.com ; CFH from Inquirer.net, WDD from DA.gov.ph ) And so, this is one little lesson in creative writing even as you insist on critical writing! Staring at PH Agriculture and seeing the hole rather than the doughnut 7 times is what comes out as “The Seven Deadly Sins Of The DA” that Cielito F Habito see s (14 June 2022, “Seven Deadly Sins,” Inquirer.net , opinion.inquirer.net ). Mr Habito commits a lethal error tha...

Today, Tuesday, 14 June 2022 in Manila, I am most sorrowful to read, via a Facebook link, “Seven Deadly Sins” by Inquirer.net columnist Cielito F Habito , former Director General of the National Economic & Development Authority (NEDA). It’s Negative . The “NEDA Nega Effect” is unintended, I am sure – but Mr Habito’s 670-word column (excluding author) has the effect of saying, “ William Dar must be replaced as Secretary of Agriculture!” I’m Positive , I forgive him! I sympathize with Mr Habito with this negative outlook! Me, I always try to see the positive in any situation, problematic or not. That explains why I am very creative, as you can see in this blog alone – “ Towards A New Eden” ( blogspot.com ) – I have been blogging every single day in the last 2 years! At 81+ that’s God’s blessings! Pertinently, I must point out & explain I am the self-proclaimed “Father of Communication for Village Development in the 21st Century (CoViD21).” What do I communicate? Essentially R...

“Thinking globally, acting globally.” Succeeding , William Dar needs at least the next 6 years as Secretary of Agriculture to lead us Filipinos from a disagreeable-business to agribusiness desired! Honestly, we Filipinos need a wide-angled leadership of our agriculture to inspire our farmers and fishers to escape the prison of poverty and explore the outside universe of prosperity. Now then, we must continue with Mr Dar inspiring us to achieve “ Masaganang Ani at Mataas na Kita ” (“Bountiful Harvests & Bounteous Income” – my translation). Why Mr Dar as the next PH Secretary of Agriculture? Let me give my forthright thoughts – we need someone with: 1.      international experience as science leader; 2.      100% empathy for poor farmers; 3.      wide-angled, ie, global view of Agriculture; 4.      proven hard work for country, preferably Ilocano; 5.      implements “Science with...

Yes, my favorite PH Secretary of Agriculture is, and will always be, William Dar , who was the Servant Leader of the India-based International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) who brought ICRISAT from dead last (kulelat) to #1 among CGIAR’s 15 international agricultural research agencies that include/d formidable IRRI. What has Dar wrought? Remembering, ICRISAT honored its outstanding Director General (DG) on 17 Feb 2017, in its headquarters in India, by renaming the “ICRISAT Agriculture Innovation Platform” facility into the “ William D Dar Agribusiness Centre ” – this is honoring international leadership! What is my credibility writing about ICRISAT? I was Writer From Home for ICRISAT 2007 to 2014, publishing the blog “ iCRiSAT Watch “ – and ICRISAT published my articles into 7 warm image-filled books in my name. ICRISAT was non-performing among the 15 CGIAR agencies when Mr Dar became its DG in Jan 2000. Immediately, Mr Dar provided impetus for greatn...

Here is my Internet advice to our ascendant President Ferdinand “BBM” Marcos Jr to help millions of farmers rise high above their levels of poverty and stay up there: “Ang Bagong Balangkas na Bibliya para sa Magsasaka” (“The New BBM For Filipino Farmers”). My inspiration: Don’t pour – instead, share knowledge! (Image sources: “Pouring knowledge” theblack&white , theblackandwhite.net ; “sharing knowledge” Helpie WP , helpiewp.com ; “BBM” New York Post , nypost.com ) Sharing knowledge – from science to the language of target sharers. Sharing knowledge even, or especially if, it concerns a likely-to-be-impossible dream. Thus, candidate BBM himself boldly promised or loudly aspired for a P 20/kg rice during the presidential campaign, and here I am another Ilocano to encourage him! “The New BBM” is a genius Learning Bank sophisticated down to lift up unsophisticated learners , unlike a Knowledge Bank, which immediately tells you what to do! (Check out “IRRI Rice Knowledge Bank,” k...