Wake Up! Aggie Journalists & Play Active Roles Towards More Farmers’ Success

A1, an OFW, takes up farming, cultivates 50 ha and makes P1,500,000 (US$30,000) every 6 months out of garlic and onions. Story comes out.

A2, also an OFW, cultivates 1 ha of rice and makes only P10,000 each cropping season. No story.

A3, a farmer, converts his 7-ha crop farm into a tourism farm and now is earning P1 million a year! Story.

A4, an agriculturist, quits his job at a government office, converts his 5-ha farm into a tourism farm and is earning P120,000 a year. Compare with A3. No story.

A5 is raising improved native chickens (dominant CZ) in La Union and is now earning half a million every 6 months. Story.

A6, long-time farmer, is raising native chickens and barely earning enough for his family. His wife sells fish in the public market. No story.

A7 planted the Longping hybrid rice in 10 hectares and made P500,000 in 1 growing season. Story.

A8 planted Longping hybrid rice in 1 ha and made only P15,000 in 1 growing season. No story.

A9 is growing cacao seedlings in his 1 ha agroforest farm and making P1 million a year from sales. Story.

A10 is growing cacao in his 2 ha agroforest farm and making only P100,000 a year from sales. No story.

A11 is growing sweet sorghum in 2 ha and making P500,000 from the wine he makes. Story.

A12 is growing sweet sorghum in 2 ha and making only P100,000 from the wine he makes. No story.

A13 is growing all the pinakbetvegetables and is making P1 million a year. The vegetables include bitter gourd, eggplant, okra, chili, drumstick tree, and winged beans. He sells to A15. Story.

A14 is growing all the pinakbetvegetables and is making only P150,000 a year. No story.

A15 is running a restaurant in town exclusively offering the authentic Ilocano pinakbet, and is making half a million pesos every 4 months. The Filipinos – and foreigners – love vegetables cooked just right. Story.

A16 is running a restaurant offering exclusively pinakbet and is making only P50,000 every 5 months. No story.

A17 bought a bus and now is earning P500,000/year from that vehicle. He is planning to buy another one. Story.

A18 bought a bus and now is earning P150,000/year from that vehicle. No story.

A19 has an orchard of mangoes that yields him P750,000 every harvest season. He does not do the harvesting himself – the buyer along with his boys does it. Story.

A20 has an orchard of mangoes that yields him only P50,000 every harvest season. No story.

Different farmers, similar costs – dissimilar results in returns. There are millions more farmers failing to rise from poverty, so they are the ones that our journalists should be writing about! (millionaire image[1] from SlidePlayer; w/health image from Shutterstock.com[2])

Unhappily, PH journalists actively neither supports the leadership of Secretary of Agriculture William Dar nor farmer groups in their efforts for individual members to succeed. Else, we can have more millionaire farmers than they can write about!@517

---

[1]https://slideplayer.com/slide/13708016/
[2]https://www.shutterstock.com/search/wealth

“I Have A New Dream, I Have A New Goal” – PH Agriculture & The Communication Of Science

 

Today, Saturday, 19 September 2020, on Facebook Father Corapi Catholic Channel shares, and I love the quote:

You are never too old
to set another goal.
Or to dream a new dream.
CS Lewis

Sharer of wisdom, Catholic. Source Protestant. I am Catholic. We Catholics don’t have a monopoly of wisdom!

Actually, less than 2 months ago, on 07 August 2020, I created this new blog of mine where you are reading this – Brave New World PH – with a logo of a girl walking surrounded by a bright future. I did borrow that BNW image from comicbook TV[1]). What stronger image for bravery than a girl? For the brave new Philippines.

Because, yes, if I do not dedicate the rest of my life to my country, it’s still mine but what good is my digital knowhow then? Talent shared is talent multiplied.

In agriculture in the Philippines, with the continuing lockdown up to 12 September 2021, there is very little or no freedom at all for government agencies, scientists & extensionists, as well as private companies & their field technicians, to interact with farmers. On top of that, there is very little or no stored farming knowledge that anyone can tap anytime to guide one’s actions – well, this has been a lack in the hundred years plus since the University of the Philippines College of Agriculture, now UP Los Baños, was founded in March 1908.

And, granting knowledge: If memory is to be relied on, whose memory should it be? Science must be recorded, accessible to all, not simply in someone’s memory.

On 28 August 1963, black civil rights leader Martin Luther King led the March on Washington and delivered the “I Have A Dream“ speech (that became) widely considered the greatest of the 20th century, noted for its power and resonance[2]” (Britannica). It was a “a call for equality and freedom.”

Believe it or not, that is exactly how I look at the situation of PH Agriculture right now: A call for equality in the access to knowledge and thereby power; it is also a call for freedom in movements to cultivate the soils of the Philippines for the prosperity of all in the villages.

My Strategy: Equality of access to complete sets of knowledge, ultimately by cellphone.

Lack of access to complete sets of science and practices are actually the primary reason why PH Agriculture is not competitive with that of any of the ASEAN countries. For instance, how do you explain the fact that Vietnamese and Filipino farmers are using the same technology sets in growing rice and yet the Vietnamese spend less and the Filipinos spend more per kilo of grains produced? The Vietnamese farmers must know more than the Filipino!

My Dream: Sustainable farming by all!

All farming must lead to sustainability – employing methods & materials that are feasible, economically viable, environmentally sound, and socially acceptable. The gross domestic prosperity must not only increase but must be inclusive, shared by all.@517

 

---

[1]https://comicbook.com/tv-shows/news/brave-new-world-tv-show-spoilers-review-peacock/

[2]https://www.britannica.com/topic/I-Have-A-Dream

PH, Even Beyond The Du30 Terrestrial Lockdown To Sept 2021, UP Los Baños Needs Intellectual Release From The Silence Of Science!

Du30’s coronavirus lockdown extends to 12 Sept 2021, but no presidential decree should quarantine our thinking such as on science applied to agriculture, on knowledge applied to farming – and on a national university reaching out to the people to help them think on problems and act out solutions.

The University of the Philippines Los Baños is crucial here and, since as an alumnus I know that UPLB has inadvertently locked down itself into the Silence of Science, as a modern knowledge warrior I dare my alma mater to wake up from its science slumber and serve the people with eyes wide open and mind alert!

In the above image, I’m saying if you are the UPLB Chancellor, you need instant multi-institutional perspectives that you can create only in a digital universe.

UPLB needs a digital Chancellor now!

I, Frank A Hilario, as:
Editor In Chief of several science publications in the last 45 years;
a self-taught digital Editor in the last 25 years;
a self-directed unstoppable blogger publishing thousands upon thousands of essays for PH Agriculture in the last 13 years;
I have not observed any official involvement of my alma mater in the matter of reviving Philippine Agriculture before or during the lockdown;
I believe the times call for digital wisdom and I know this candidate UPLB Chancellor has been immersed in the digital world of education, pioneering e-learning in the Philippines:

Considering all that, I fully believe that among the 3 candidates,

Patrick Alain T Azanza deserves to be the next Chancellor of my alma mater UP Los Baños!
(above image, superimposed)

Meanwhile, all of UP Los Baños is in its Rip Van Winkle digital slumber, despite the founding of the Institute of Computer Science that started offering a BS Computer Science degree in 1983, the first of its kind in the country[1].

Today, the first is last!

Sadly, UP Los Baños never went beyond offering BS Computer Science into digitalizing knowledge in agriculture and related fields in both languages: technical (for professionals), and popular (for farmers). I can give 2 reasons for UPLB’s failure:

(1)   UPLB’s incomplete appreciation of the digital universe – otherwise, the aggie professionals and field technicians out there would have been served with unending knowledge.

(2)   UPLB’s incomplete empathy with the farmers – otherwise, the University would have joined the government agencies behind the Open Academy for Philippine Agriculture, OpAPA, as digital servant for everyone involved in farming.

Submitted via PhilRice, OpAPA was the brainchild of the then-Director General of ICRISAT, based in India, now Secretary of Agriculture William Dar. On how to implement OpAPA intellectually, I wrote out my proposal into a digital book, The Geography Of Knowledge, 198 pages, dated 28 December 2003 – unfortunately, nothing came out of it. They went on their OpAPA way, and now OpAPA is dead.

If Mr Azanza becomes UPLB Chancellor, I will show it to him. Then it will be an excellent opportunity to explore the geography of knowledge for agriculture!@517

 

---

[1]http://ics.uplb.edu.ph/degree/bscs

If Hybrid Rice Makes A Farmer So Much Richer Every Harvest, Why Are Only A Few Farmers Cultivating It?

This is from a Facebook sharing of Fermin Dalimot, the Ilocano planter of the hybrid rice Longping, which I know is the “creation” of the Chinese plant scientist Yuan Longping, hence the name. (superimposed artwork of hybrid rice panicle[1] from PNGio.com)

The following are selected comments, all positive, about Mr Dalimot’s Longping hybrid harvest (spellings as is). I am going to select & translate from Ilocano or Tagalog; I will point out that every commenter is jealous of the good fortune of the farmer.

The 1st question is: “Was it really good fortune that gave this farmer a good harvest?” Lo Ernie Paulo Ruiz says it was the brand of the fertilizer (not mentioned). Maning Gaspar says a high yield is achievable with any of the hybrids, as long as one does what is right and the weather is good. But Mike Bernardo Castro says Longping performs well even during the rainy season. Mike Bernardo Castro says, “The weather condition is a big factor.”

Perlie Del Rosario Gamayon says it’s the seeds – “Mayat ta naymulam” (literally, what you planted is good). It’s the hybrid Longping 205. Area planted is 2.9 ha; total harvest 526 bags. Alexes Guillermo Casiano says it looks like the farmer harvested from 5 ha.

Mike Bernardo CastroMasaganang ani sir 🌾🌾🌾
Iba talaga ang Longping, talagang maasahan kahit tag-ulan👍👍👍👏👏👏💪💪💪
Dio Pambid Nagado sa apit mo insan
Charisse Mei Magallones-Obra Wow sulit agad ankel yang reaper hehe..walang nasayng..
Francis Salalila Canlas Galing pres
Melvin Santos Congratulations sir!
Normita Salvador Patac Chamba mo mate mahal Ang palay ngayon
Julie Casiano Wow panalo na kuya
Mart Cauilan Grabe 😲
Carmen Aquino Wow tomama ka unçle
Ailyn Cayomba Daming ani ah batch
Lo Ernie Paulo Ruiz Wow masaganang ani bro.makapaadu apit ti brand nga abono "
LeSter Perlie Del Rosario Gamayon Wow panalo ka uncle 👍Mayat ta naymulam 👏👏God is good ❤️
Vilma Ramos Ramirez Wow ang dami manong...
Maning Gaspar Doable sa lahat ny hybrid basta gawin ang nararapat at weather is good
Mike Bernardo Castro Maning Gaspar yes doc, napakalaking factor po ang weather condition
Elma Amahit Pascua Wow ankel super tama ka sa harvest mo 👍👍sana all 😍🙏😀
Fermin Dalimot Elma Amahit Pascua wen kaanakan, to God be the glory
Alexes Guillermo Casiano Nagmayaten ta pagay mo pres, kasla kala nagapit ti lima nga ektarya.
Fermin Dalimot Alexes Guillermo Casiano wen naitsamba, jay panagdawa na idi nga mayat panawen.

So, hybrid rice earns more for the farmer. Now, the answer to my own question (see title) – I blame only the hybrid rice companies themselves. None of those has launched any national media campaign for farmers to adopt hybrid rice. Independent press releases are not enough. PhilRice-IRRI endorsement is not enough.

As a digital media advocate, I am thinking of a Season-Long Multi-Media Hybrid Rice Campaignthat needs to be waged for hybrid rice.

Seriously. For the good of PH Agriculture, I could give those hybrid rice companies free digital advice if they asked me! frankahilario@gmail.com@517

 

---

[1]https://pngio.com/images/png-a2640238.html

Which Of The Top 5 Soft Skills Of 2020 To Develop For 2021 – Qualitatively Different Advice From US Mentor Emma Brudner & PH Guru Frank A Hilario

Here’s my birthday advice to you if you are looking for a mentor of men (Miss Emma) or a mentor of minds (Mr Hilario). She advices on how to get yourself a more rewarding job; I advice you on how to get yourself a more enriching mind this year and on to the next.

And you know what? My single advice is based on Miss Emma’s 5!

In the Inc.comarticle “The Top 5 Soft Skills Of 2020 And How To Develop Them[1],” Miss Emma has this list:

1.     Creativity

2.     Persuasion

3.     Collaboration

4.     Adaptability

5.     Emotional intelligence.

Note that she is coming from the assumption that soft skills are now being preferred by companies hiring people over hard skills– even those with diplomas or certificates of graduation.

Miss Emma says the 5 in the list come from LinkedIn – which I can say is The Facebook of Skilled People – and are ranked one to the other:

Creativity is most important, while
Persuasion is 2^nd in importance, and
Collaboration is 3^rd in importance, and
Adaptability is 4^th in importance, and finally your
Emotional Intelligence is 5^th one to really thrill your next employer.

Creative – You are able to come up with ideas on your own, and/or bounce ideas off others for any new or improved pronouncement, policy, product or process.

Persuasive – You can argue from your side, and from the other side. You can examine all the angles, and can come up with rebuttals if necessary.

Collaborative – You know how to define the structure of that collaboration. On one boat, you know how to get everyone to row together and not against each other. You make sure everyone listens, asks questions and understands what is/are expected of him/her.

Adaptive – The circumstances may change, but your mindset is always able to help you adjust to the new requirements. You may also want to test an alternative idea or approach.

Emotionally intelligent – You do seek out others for their points of view. Empathy is essential.

All that from Miss Emma.

Think now, I have only 1 advice:

Learn to be creative!

Creativity covers all.
From Alignment to Zaire.

How do you cultivate creativity? The “Po Technique” of Edward de Bono says in brainstorming, there are no negatives. Look inside or beside – there may a bright idea somewhere.

Sorry, but if you look at the above image again, you can see that it is:
not creative.
not persuasive.
not collaborative.
not adaptable.
not emotionally intelligent!

If you are creative, you always come up with ways to convince people to contribute to the common effort.

If you are creative, brainstorming with the team, you always come up with ways for everyone to help each other out in the common project.

If you are creative, you always think out ways to adjust to your group.

If you are creative, you always ask for feedback. And you will become more creative as a result!@517

 

---

[1]https://www.inc.com/emma-brudner/the-top-5-soft-skills-of-2020-how-to-develop-them.html?cid=sf01002&fbclid=IwAR3eB0ZMKr6idMl9O0b6lMd9KT2XaiqlUYnlT-6sR-ygFs-8Un2A8p8-JKk

My Birthday Is Coming Up, And If You Love Me, Bury Me With Your Un-Edited Technical Papers As Your Gifts!

After creative writing, my next big talent is technical editing. And so today, my way of giving thanks to the Lord for reaching 80 (not today), send me your unedited technical manuscript on agriculture, biodiversity, communication, ecology, education, forestry, technology or any related field – and I will edit the first 17 soft copies I receive, gratis et amore! frankahilario@gmail.com (Otherwise, it’s P7K.)

Pre-digital: If you don’t know me, from 1975 to 1981, for the Forest Research Institute, FORI, I was the founder and Editor In Chief of the monthly newsletter Canopy, quarterly technical journal Sylvatrop, and quarterly popular color magazine Habitat. Those publications made FORI well-known here and abroad.

100% digital: From 2003 to 2008, I was the Editor In Chief of the Philippine Journal of Crop Science, PJCS, the one who elevated it to the internationally honored list of journals called ISI (Web of Knowledge-Web of Science).

My offer of a gift to edit your technical paper was prompted by the Facebook sharing of DoST (main image above) with the title “DoST and Elsevier, World’s Largest Scientific Publisher, Renew Partnership.” Thus, “DoST revitalized its subscription to the scientific publishing giant’s online journals, citation index database, and capacity building of researchers on authorship to scientific journals.”

I note: “capacity building of researchers on authorship (of papers submitted) to scientific journals.” Mr DoST, I say we do not need to subscribe to foreign journals for our authors to come up with international standards in technical writing – we can ask the help of the Editors In Chief of the Philippine Agricultural Scientist, PAS, and the PJCS who actively brought those publications to the internationally respected ISI level: OK Bautista for PAS and Frank A Hilario for PJCS.

Experience is the best teacher!

… the year 2019 posted the highest research output in a single year at 5,614 research publications produced.

As an Editor In Chief of 45 years, here’s my comment on the above DoST news:

The highest research output in a single year at 5,614 research publications produced is unbelievable!

The DoST reporter did not proofread his report – a cardinal sin. By “5,614 research publications produced,” s/he must mean 5,614 research papers published, not 5,614 research journals published – too many!

Here is a Facebook comment on the above DoST sharing:

Edd K Usman: Ma’am, thanks so much. Take care. Head already corrected… renews to renew.” Slip-up.

In the title of the paper, a grammatical error occurs: “renews” instead of “renew.” Really, my editorial work of 45 years tells me that authors are not careful with grammar – and that is why you need editors who are careful with those who are careless.

And yes, on the above main image, I superimposed “How to write a great abstract.” The mentor is using a fountain pen – that is bringing back technical writing to 45 years ago.

I am 100% self-taught when it comes to digital. Today, editors of technical papers must be 100% digital, or must yield to others who are!@517

 

“Antique Hog Raisers Earn ₱12-M In 2 Months” – Impossible?!

From out there, SMH Toreno says Antique hog raisers earned P12 Million from 4 institutional buyers in Metro Manila from July to recently (DA Western Visayas, DA-RAFIS 6). (Facebook sharing; “sold” image from Desert Gate[1])

That’s collecting P6 Million every 30 days, or US$4,000 a day! Is that possible?

It is not only possible; it has already happened. Mr Toreno says swine raisers in Antique sold 1,350 head valued at P12 Million to those 4 buyers in Metro Manila. No, they did not do the selling individually as hog raisers; they were actively assisted by the local government unit, LGU of Sibalom, Leyte along with the Sibalom Livestock and Poultry Raisers Association, SILPRA; and this tandem of 2 sold the hogs to those 4 institutional buyers (names not mentioned in the report). And so, as against the low purchasing price range of P80 to P85/kilo in Sibalom, this went up to P90 to P107/kilo in Metro Manila.

The price is right when the place is right!

I want to emphasize here the huge significance of the assistance of LGU Sibalom and SILPRA in the marketing of the hogs – that they connected with institutional buyers, not individual buyers. Institutional buyers are committed; they guarantee your market and they are yours forever as long as the long-term contract for production-purchase is in effect and the terms are faithfully kept. Both buyers and sellers benefit from the pre-agreed terms and conditions.

The price is always right as it is guaranteed by the contract.

Still, the Antique achievement can be much improved – and institutionalized.

Here is my one recommendation to SILPRA, now with 400 members from the villages of Barbara, Belison, Hamtic, San Jose, San Remigio, and Tibiao:

Form a multipurpose cooperative.

There are at least 3 things that will happen if they form say the Sibalom Hog & Poultry Raisers Cooperative, SHoP Raisers Coop:

(1)   Funds guaranteed. SHoP Raisers Coop will apply for inclusion in the master list of the Cooperative Development Authority, CDA of the Philippines. The coop can then request financial assistance from the public and private sectors.

(2)   Coop will enjoy full support of the DA.Under the leadership of Secretary of Agriculture William Dar, SHoP Raisers Coop can receive loans, equipment and all kinds of assistances. On easy terms, or gratis.

(3)   No dictatorship. No strong-willed leader can dominate the group, unlike in an association – therefore, selfish motives and sectarian moves can be entirely eliminated. The structure of the cooperative, if the rules of the CDA are followed, prevents dominance of any group.

Of course, the DA will also assist the associations, but not with much content and confidence as it has dealing with cooperatives.

I know all that because I am a Board Member of Nagkaisa Multipurpose Cooperative of my hometown Asingan, Pangasinan. The President of an association can dictate his will to the members because they feel beholden to him – you cannot dictate to the coop board who represent varied interests: tenant, farmer, businessman, landowner, religious person, civic-minded individual.

In Union there’s Strength!@517

 

 

---

[1]http://www.desertgaterealestate.com/sold_in_2009