Think! Proposal For PH DA To Spend P1.7 Billion For A Knowledge Bank

 

I just learned that our Department of Agriculture (DA) has P9.8 Billion of unspent funds – that reflects the Ilocano in Secretary of Agriculture William Dar. Another Ilocano, I’m thinking of helping spend fast P1.7 Billion going digital, creating this last quarter of the year a Knowledge Bank for 5 million Filipino farmers.
(“Knowledge Bank” image[1] from Knowledge Bank, Facebook)

The Commission on Audit (COA) has come out with a negative spending report on the DA. Ralf Rivas says, “COA Questions DA For P9.8-Billion Unspent Funds, Wrong Farmers’ Lists[2]” (19 August 2021, Rappler). Wrong lists? Today, as Editor In Chief of 46 years and Internet-ready for 30 years, I am more interested into what the DA could use the funds for:

P1.7 Billion as Intelligence Fund in Agriculture.

This particular Intelligence Fund is for creating a universal, limitless Knowledge Bank that is actually the brains of SMART JUAN: Stored Matter Adapted To Rural Terrain Translated For Johns Utilizing Agricultural Notes, Notions, Novelties In Science. (See my first essay about it, “Smart Juan” – The Digital Renaissance Of “Juan Tamad” Into An All-Knowing Farmer[3],” 15 August 2021, TIT for TAT. Why not check out 2 other enlightening essays on the same subject.)

With that P1.7 Billion budget, all 109 state colleges & universities[4] (SCUs) scattered all over these islands can be active in gathering lessons learned in science, recording in digital forms successful as well as failed experiences in the raising of crops and animals. The top 10 SCUs will be assigned P100 million each, the rest to share the remaining P700,000,000. The headquarters will be at the campus of the #1 of the SCUs: UP Los Baños. Hundreds, nay thousands of staff each armed with a laptop will be hired by the SCUs for knowledge works.

Let us cultivate the PH farmer intelligently.

The P1.7 Billion will be spent on gathering and processing data and information into an Internet-based, farmer-understandable and decider-friendly knowledge base.

To explain a little, let me briefly discuss the insufficiencies of 2 existing examples of knowledge products, 1 each from IRRI and PhilRice.

IRRI’s “Nutrient Manager for Rice (NMRice)” –
This is limited to rice and supplying nutrients. And IRRI is assuming there is only 1 rice variety! Also, I know there are other options than applying fertilizer on any crop.

PhilRice’s “Usapang Barayti: NSIC Rc 480” (“Talking Variety”) –
Without positioning the variety, PhilRice is recommending this one at once!

We must be cultivating the Filipino farmer as a SMART JUAN.

For instance, with so many rice varieties to choose from, Juan is bewildered and so you must awaken the smart in him.

SMART JUAN is a Knowledge Bank you can draw from much information, instructions, inspirations, insights, alternatives, applications, opportunities, options – you decide for yourself.

Unlike SMART JUAN, IRRI’s “Nutrient Manager for Rice” and PhilRice’s “Usapang Barayti” instruct the farmer exactly what to do and does not discuss the whys and wherefores. They are thinking for Juan.

Let us teach Filipino farmers to think for themselves!@517

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[1]https://www.facebook.com/Knowledge-Bank-112879070400418/photos/

[2]https://www.rappler.com/business/department-agriculture-unspent-funds-wrong-farmers-list-coa-report-2020

[3]https://titfortatteachingindependentthinking.blogspot.com/2021/08/smart-juan-digital-renaissance-of-juan.html

[4]https://www.pressreader.com/philippines/the-philippine-star/20111218/284532995001733