18 May 2020

Real & Virtual – 2 Worlds The PH DA Must Struggle In To Win The War


The press release from the Department of Agriculture, DA, was titled “DA Proposes Measures To Revive, Reboot PHL Agri Sector[1].” Now: 

Revive – to restore to life physically;
Reboot – to restore to life virtually.
2 different worlds contained in 1 linear titular sentence.

Did someone in the DA mix metaphors?

Looking at the above image, my “global sunset” giving life to a dull scene, taken 08-Dec-16 with my Lumix FZ100 digital camera:

The mixed metaphor is welcome – it gives light to a sleeping giant!

Yes. The title “DA Proposes Measures To Revive, Reboot PHL Agri Sector” is excellent! It:

(1) realistically refers to the resuscitation of physical measures needed for PH agriculture to spring back to its feet; as well as  

(2) digitally refers to the renewing & revitalizing of virtual measures necessary to bring PH agriculture from inaccessible science to knowledge at your fingertips.

And so Secretary of Agriculture William Dar/Manong Willie has formally asked from the PH government a total of P66 Billion for the new Agriculture “Plant, Plant, Plant Program,” Agri 4Ps. Nobody asked, but it is a Dream Budget to me because it covers the real world less of cities and more of countryside, and covers the virtual world of science (knowledge) and technology (tools & systems).

The interventions comprise 6 components; I rearranged the listing to combine the real: (1), (2, and (3): and the virtual: (4), (5), and (6).

(1) Food logistics/food markets project;
(2) Strengthening of price monitoring and enforcement system;
(3) Agricultural and fisheries commodity exchange system; 
(4) Communications support to Agri 4Ps;
(5) Expanding extension support to the provincial local government units; and
(6) Digital agriculture.

(4), (5) & (6): I’m into digital support systems for Agri 4Ps communications, extension, and digital agriculture.

This excites me because I am a science writer seeing the Agri 4Ps as “Science seeking the human face.” History: In 2007, I became international consulting writer for the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics, ICRISAT, when William Dar was Director General; he was DG from 2000 to 2014. ICRISAT’s slogan at that time was “Science with a human face.” To modify it for today, I say that what Manong Willie is pursuing as Secretary of Agriculture is “Science with a farmer’s face.”

On 10 April 2003, Rita T Dela Cruz reported that the ICRISAT DG proposed “the creation of an open academy… empowering farmers and fisherfolk with the latest technology developed through research and development, R&D.” This became the Open Academy for Philippine Agriculture, OpAPA[2], and PhilRice took over. In December of 2003, I was engaged as a PhilRice consultant, and I came out with a complete proposal on how to construct and communicate OpAPA, a 198-page inspiration/instruction book titled The Geography Of Knowledge. Alas, that was the end of it!

Nonetheless, thinking of the Agri 4Ps, I will submit my knowledge-defining-geography book again, even as I hope the scene will become a beautiful sunrise!@517







[1]https://pia.gov.ph/press-releases/releases/1042027?fbclid=IwAR3xe5wg4QfOrmklnB4hFav9rWtuBtuGn4EopX7JjPNpo1RXKINchvK6asE
[2]https://www.bar.gov.ph/index.php/test-archive/407-april-2003-issue/3103-da-creates-open-academy-for-philippine-agriculture

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