For God & Country – Old Age, Senior Moments & Today’s Digital Lessons

This is An Open Letter From Frank A Hilario To Linggoy Alcuaz. From 80 To 72 Yo, On Writing For God & Country.

This is all about our enjoying our writing while enjoining our countrymen to behave wisely:
in my case employing modern knowledge in the fight for national development via agriculture;
in your case, employing classic freedom in the fight for deep-seated democracy.
(image of cross-heart[1] from Pinterest)

Ah but Linggoy, you cannot have one without the other!

I write in pursuit of “The New Thinking for Agriculture” as propounded by Secretary of Agriculture William Dar, and you write in pursuit of true & honest democracy.

Frank A Hilario:
I am an agriculturist, UPLB ’65. In agriculture, I see media old, as has been outed since 45 years ago, when I started to found, one after the other, the 3 publications of the Forest Research Institute from 1975 to 1981: monthly newsletter Canopy, quarterly technical journal Sylvatrop, and quarterly popular color magazine Habitat.

Today, retired, I’m an indefatigable blogger in the field of agriculture, with at least 4,000 long essays of 1,000 words plus each, written since 2005. My latest blog where you are reading this is Brave New World PH– and I can see that you subscribe to it even if you didn’t know it exists!

Linggoy Alcuaz:
You are an indefatigable leader and voice in the field of popular democracy. I see your problem is less your audience appreciating you and more the process of your writing!

I am 80. I want to be remembered, with my 7-year old Lenovo laptop, as a modern media fighter for the emancipation of Filipino farming families from poverty into prosperity – and staying there forever and ever!

You are 72. You are “a staunch supporter of Democracy and Clean, Free and Honest Elections.”

Know what? You are not enjoying your writing, I can see that, even if you have a new Lenovo laptop. Now, I will assume that for writing you are using Word 2019; mine is Word 2016 – but you can learn from the older one!

You write:

Since I resumed my YTT column in OpinYon’s Flagship Edition on 7-13 September 2020, I have without exception exceeded my quota of 700 words.

You don’t know when to stop writing! Your word processor has a word counter at the bottom left – you never look at it. You should be the one cutting into continueds, or cutting out text, not somebody else, so that your mind remembers the part to be continued!

Linggoy, either you are forgetful, or you don’t know how to take good care of your docs. It’s not too late. If you intend to be writing columns well into your 80s and even 90s, as I do writing essays, you have to keep track of everything.

Now then, may I offer you an early Christmas gift? Email me your drafts and I will edit into continueds gratis et amore! Beginning now. (frankahilario@gmail.com)

Yes, our writings are to be continueds – For God & Country!@517

 

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[1]https://www.pinterest.ph/pin/361343570075961781/

Teenage Schoolers – How Abot TALA Can Become Abot KAYA, Can Afford!

This is for teenagers 12-18 years old who want an alternative school.

Last month, Jojo G Silvestre wrote “Joei Villarama: Advocate Of Self-Directed Learning” (18 October 2020, Tribune.net.ph[1]).

Is Self-Directed Learning right for your teenager?

This is a subject close to my heart. Know that I am a high school teacher, UP '65, Civil Service Professional. So, while Miss Joei thinks of those teenagers learning outside regular schools, I am thinking of teenagers learning inside higher educational institutions, HEIs, and state colleges & universities, SCUs. While retired, even at 80, I would love to teach those HEIs and SCUs teenagers to teach themselves!

Mr Silvestre writes:

Joei Villarama… is founder of Abot Tala, a co-learning hub for young people, ages 12 to 18, who are better suited to discover for themselves their gifts and talents, set goals and dream freely with the guidance of mentors.

“Abot Tala” in Tagalog (Filipino) can mean “Reach For The Star.” It is Your Star – so, learn to reach it yourself!

Abot Tala does not yet have a school compound of its own, and Miss Joei has been moving Heaven and Earth to raise money to establish that dream School of the Heart (my term). One way is donations. Mr Silvestre writes:

Today, Sunday, is the last day for bidding for 12 art pieces being auctioned online by Leon Gallery for the benefit of Abot Tala. Featured artists are Tessa Alindogan, Monica E Castillo, Arlene Villaver, Rellie Liwag and Jane.

Art for Heart.

Abot Tala is an alternative to school. Miss Joei says:

Abot Tala offers them (young people) the freedom to design and pursue their unique education path with the guidance of mentors who are their cheerleaders.

I note: “Abot Tala offers them the freedom to design and pursue their unique education path” – that is somewhat vague to parents and not attractive enough to teenagers. Today, I think I know one approach to convincing teenagers along with their parents to enthusiastically “enroll” at Abot Tala:

Give each teenager unlimited access to the Internet!

Then I’m sure teenagers and their parents will get excited about being part of Abot Tala. I imagine donations coming in as cash, computers and access to facilities. Financing the school rises from Purgatory to Heaven. Abot Tala becomes Abot Kaya, Can Afford!

Unlimited Internet means unlimited searches for each child to discover universes previously unknown, and along the way discover one’s hidden talent in athletics, dance, math, music, painting whatever.

From “Tala,” I’ll call this Internet approach
“Discover Your Star.”

Your star is your talent. Not only learners in independent schools like Abot Tala can discover their stars – also high schools in higher educational institutions, and state colleges & universities.

Let each schooler feel like a scholar searching one’s genius among the geniuses featured in the Internet, not the least but not limited to Wikipedia. Then, sooner or later, that teenager’s heart’s desire will appear as a bright Star.

The Star discovered can then be the guide for college studies – or pursuit of entrepreneurship.@517

 

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[1]https://tribune.net.ph/index.php/2020/10/18/joei-villarama-advocate-of-self-directed-learning/?fbclid=IwAR2afOD5gpC0eCCpQT0OTFmq15_pqBhBsZCTWHntzg6sZioYiRcApncj3Vo

PH National Food Policy – Toward Satisfying Hunger For Food. What About Hunger For Prosperity?

Thank you, Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles, being Chair of the Inter-Agency Task Force on Zero Hunger that handcrafted PH’s National Food Policy, NFP, which you launched 16 October 2020 at the Bureau of Soils & Water Management, BSWM, headquarters in Quezon City (18 October 2020, ANN, “Phl Launches Nat’l Food Policy, Capping World Food Day Celeb,” DA-AFID). And thank you for recognizing that “hunger is a multi-dimensional problem caused by a combination of inter-related factors, and thus collective action of everyone is crucial in addressing it effectively.”

(Physical hunger for food is a given. But not physiological and psychological hunger for prosperity, of which I am equally interested in promoting by media, if not more so. I will note here that I began blogging for PH farmer prosperity earnestly about 15 years ago – and thankfully, we now have Secretary of Agriculture William Dar and his “The New Thinking for Agriculture” with “8 Paradigms” as contributing to its enrichment.)

According to ANN:

The NFP has outlined six key result areas, namely: 1) review and rationalize existing policies, rules, and regulations related to zero hunger; 2) ensure available and affordable food; 3) secure nutrition adequacy; 4) secure food accessibility and safety; 5) ensure sustainable food systems, food resiliency, and stability; and 6) ensure information, education, awareness, and people participation. (image of prosperity food plate[1] from Nytimes.com)

I note that the NFP goes after both food quantity and quality, Q&Q, sufficient and nutritious. The food we eat is not only for our physiology but also for our psychology. For the benefit of everyone, our food systems must be sustainable.

Now, the #6 key result area is the one that attracts my attention greatly: “ensure information, education, awareness, and people participation.” And so:

Information –
I can see that we need all the Q&Q helps that the public and private media can extend to carry out the NFP in all its complexity.

Education –
The public and private educational institutions are also called upon to help cultivate the NFP. The adults must be taught, the children too.

Awareness –
Naturally, I look at the mass media to cultivate in the public mind the consciousness that we all need to contribute what we can for the fulfilment of the NFP.

People Participation–
This must be real. Since Martial Law, some leaders and followers have never stopped complaining that the poor farmers have always been neglected by the State. While that may be true, the poor farmers have not done what they could to:

Improve their farming in order to improve their bottom line and thereby improve their living. If they don’t know how, they have not been asking!

So I will add to the list of the Path to Prosperity, this one:

Via Extension –
Not simply Training, which is for those who have time to spare. By Extension, the farmers learn throughout their farming, from seed to sack, from planting to marketing. how to decrease costs and increase returns, so they can by themselves fill up their Plates of Prosperity!@517

 

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[1]https://www.nytimes.com/2016/02/08/dining/recipes-for-happiness-and-prosperity.html

Maria Ressa’s Investigative Journalism Versus Frank H's Investing Journalism

Let me now investigate if multi-awardee Maria Ressa may be the Brave New Girl that I conceived expressed initially in the name of this 2020 blog, “A Brave New World PH[1]” (07 August 2020, blogspot.com)? Above, see superimposed image below right.

I, the University of the Philippines’ historically the one and only “Outstanding Alumnus For Creative Writing” (awarded 2011), a self-styled journalist investing in village development since 45 years ago – printfrom 1975 and blog since 2005 – do I envy Maria Ressa for the world’s honors she has earned, such as TIME 100, “list of the world’s most influential people in 2019” and, in March 2020, the TIME’s list of the most influential women of the century[2]”? (Camille Elemia, 21 October 2020, “Maria Ressa In Prince Harry Interview: 'Duterte, Zuckerberg On Same Page'”).

No. I Frank A Hilario at 80 envy not Maria Ressa at 57, because the journalistic honors she has received, well-deserved as they are, are for the glory of her people (Rappler), not the glory of her people (Filipinos).

No. She writes Anti while I write Pro.

Anti: Maria Ressa writes against much of Rodrigo Duterte’s actuations and accomplishments as President of the Philippines; and against Mark Zuckerberg for his Facebook’s countermoves against what it perceives as public bad, not public good.

Pro: I write for the Filipino farmers, for their liberation from poverty into leading happy & sustainable village lives. For that, I subscribe 100% to the “The New Thinking for Agriculture” being propagated by Secretary of Agriculture William Dar for the prosperity of all farmers.

It is not that Maria Ressa does not care about her people, but she cares much more about being Anti than Pro!     

As a creative writer, I started as an Anti. In 1960 or 1961, when I was Sophomore at the University of the Philippines’ College of Agriculture, now UP Los Baños, the US Peace Corps Volunteers came to Los Baños for language training: Bisaya, Ilocano, Tagalog, whatever. I wrote in the student paper Aggie Green & Gold that we did not need the Volunteers at all! Even older than Maria Ressa, my thinking has been fiercely independent for 60 years.

Miss Camille says (cited above):

In a #Time100Talks discussion, Rappler’s Maria Ressa said Filipinos are fighting impunity in tech platforms amid the weaponization of online spaces against critics of the Duterte administration.

I am not worried about such weaponization because Facebook is only my steppingstone, not my platform.

The US Declaration of Independence on 04 July 1776 starts with these words:

We hold these truths to be self-evident,
That all men are created equal
That they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights
That among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

Now then, let all men be informed that:

Maria Ressa’s pursuit of happiness is to keep on writing about the public bad c/o President Rodrigo Duterte?

Frank A Hilario’s pursuit of happiness is to keep on writing about the public good c/o Secretary of Agriculture William Dar!@517

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[1]https://bravenewworldph.blogspot.com/2020/08/a-brave-new-world-ph.html

[2]https://www.rappler.com/world/global-affairs/time-100-talks-maria-ressa-prince-harry-duterte-zuckerberg-same-page?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&fbclid=IwAR3uJ-ioTLaLyscZF3hyFoJQzGiXFLDH5MdpWem3odYcBk6_vhuwIedqFaw

PH Media & DA Officials – Who Are The Suplados?

James De Sousa says, 
“One of the media’s primary roles 
in our world is to inform[1].” 
(above images[2] from Medium.com)

Last year, after William Dar was appointed Secretary of Agriculture by President Rodrigo Duterte, if I remember right,, Mr Dar and his team at the Department of Agriculture, DA, visited the media offices of Inquirer and Manila Times, requesting for active media support for inclusive aggie development in the Philippines.

Good reception. Pictures taken of the media visits, reports written, published online.

The End.

No dedicated news. No part-by-part media reports of what the DA is up under the new leadership. No serious reporting about “The New Thinking for Agriculture” preached by Mr Dar with its “8 Paradigms.” No media-initiated interviews with any of the new officials of the DA, not even with Mr Dar.

With all the lockdowns and Covid-19 scares, we cannot expect the media people out in the countryside going after stories:

Still, the media must inform the people.
So, why not inform with Science for Development?
“Science with a human face” – ICRISAT.

Those 5 words in quotes above made up the slogan the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics, ICRISAT, adopted with Mr Dar as Director General 2000-2014. It was for ICRISAT based in India; today I mean it for PH media: PH media informing the Filipinos about agricultural knowledge with a human face.

If the media people cannot go out, they can interview Mr Dar for instance about:

Where is Ani & Kita coming from
and where is it going?

Question: Why have the media not been doing something like that?!

Because media people have not been taught in any schools of journalism about inclusive development– where the media are included in helping science move from lab to field, theory to practice.

Just because they are not directly involved, media do not see that media are not exempt from agriculture and what is happening out there, lockdown or not.

And yet all the media gleefullypick up the story when a farmer leader or group speaks out against something or other in agriculture! Such as low buying price of rice – and blaming it on government.

PH media do not have to know much about agriculture to be able to write on it intelligently and productively. They can always ask questions, including silly ones – the interviewee won’t laugh.

If PH media cannot visit the cities, towns and villages in the Philippines near or far from Metro Manila, they can always interview DA officials who are or who have been there. Easy – digitally!

It is not that Secretary of Agriculture William Dar is not approachable – I know him to be not suplado, not standoffish, not cold, not unsociable.

On second thought, the media are the ones who may be suplados! They are not friendly enough to approach Mr Dar and ask questions. If they have doubts, they can arrange for a virtual multi-interview anytime. If they don’t understand the subject matter? I say, keep asking questions. Otherwise, they are suplados!@517

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[1]https://kindofculturedgentlemen.wordpress.com/2017/09/11/the-role-of-media-in-society/
[2]https://medium.com/@kashafmurtza655/role-of-media-in-society-760db2844ae3

“Masagana 2020” – Learning From Mr Marcos & Masagana 99

Today, Friday, 30 October 2020, some 48 years after Martial Law, someone sent me a Facebook PM on “‘Marcos’ M-99 A Failure’: Perfect Illustration Of The Yellow Mindset[1],” the column of Rigoberto D Tiglao that appears in the 03 June 2020 issue of the Manila Times.net. Now that I have read the whole column:

I am reminded where the farmers failed Masagana 99!
And I don’t want that to happen to the New PH Agriculture under Secretary of Agriculture William Dar.

(1)   Yes, Masagana 99 succeeded for PH rice farmers.

(2)   Yes, (some) PH rice farmers sabotaged Masagana 99!

Mr Tiglao says:

The claim that the dictator Marcos’ Masagana 99 (M-99) program was a total failure is an excellent example of the Yellows’ invented, Manichaean narrative of that era – that it was the country’s Dark Age, that absolutely nothing good came out of it.

Mr Marcos declared a land reform program, whereby all lands of 5 hectares or more owned by a single individual were put under control by the government.

In retaliation against the agrarian reform program launched by Marcos, landlords reduced, and even in some areas totally ceased, extending credit to their tenants. All these factors led to an unprecedented 20 percent fall in palay (unmilled rice) production in 1972.

Mr Marcos had to do something. Mr Tiglao says:

Marcos’ technocrats – principally his much-admired agriculture secretary Arturo Tanco… had to design and implement the M-99 program. It was not formulated out of the blue by academics but was based on Tanco’s experience as President of the World Food Council and (member of the board of trustees) of the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI).

Masagana 99 succeeded – I was in and out of UP Los Baños when that happened. Rice yields went up from 1.7 metric tons/ha in 1970 to the current 4 MT/ha.

It was a bold experiment that channeled from 1973 an estimated P4.5 billion (P240 billion in today’s value) in loans at concessional rates to small farmers, for them to adopt new rice varieties and technology. It was the first such massive credit program for small farmers in our country, which even socialists would hail as it meant a transfer of financial assets to the poorest sectors to be used for production.

Aye, and there’s the rub!

I was a member of the Jaycees in Los Baños in those years, and we were hearing true stories of:

educated people taking advantage of Masagana 99 loans, borrowing for 1 farm and not paying back; then borrowing for a 2^nd farm and not paying back that 2^ndloan either, etc.

And that happened all over the Philippines, so Masagana 99 failed after it succeeded.

The banks had so much money that you got the loans you wanted if you captured their hearts.

Today, I recommend Masagana 2020, emphasizing National Renewal. More the Heart.

Already there is so much money waiting for borrowers for agriculture that I want to tell the Du30 Government to Please Be Careful With Your Heart!@

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[1]https://www.manilatimes.net/2020/06/03/opinion/columnists/topanalysis/marcos-m-99-a-failure-perfect-illustration-of-the-yellow-mindset/729063/?fbclid=IwAR3Z6Y0nCzFGSdMRFdUbMs6xAgkwYhh3uQloh6ZN6PpSlRWV0I0Bd55C8hE

Lesson From Rabiya Mateo – If You Know You Are Good, Focus On Winning. Now, Let Losers Focus On Whining!

Some contestants claimed loudly that 
Miss Iloilo Rabiya Mateo did notdeserve 
to be the new Miss Universe Philippines.

Grapes.

I write to prove to you that she
well deserved the title!

The Miss Universe Philippines finals was held 25 October 2020 in Baguio City at the Baguio Country Club (ANN, 27 October 2020, “Rabiya Mateo Addresses Post-Coronation Intrigue: 'I Need To Focus On My Real Goals'[1],” Rappler.com). During the event, there was zero audience, following lockdown protocols. In a TV 5 interview with MJ Marfori aired Monday, 26 October, “Rabiya defended herself and said the controversies were painful, but she decided to take the high road.”

At the end of the day, this is a competition. And being the bigger person in the picture, I need to understand where they are coming from. That’s what a queen should do and (how she) should act.

She understands that when you aim high and fall short, you feel frustrated – and you look for excuses.

And naintinidhan ko naman po (And I understand them), but at the end of the day, I need to focus myself on my real goals – which (are) to win and bring honor to my country.

Hello Universe, here she comes!

The losing candidates – never mind their names and their number – were claiming “that questions were given to her in advance” – insinuating that that’s how she got her answers right and well. Ah, but Rabiya is a cum laude!

Jeline Malasig says (26 October 2020, “Alessandra De Rossi, Pageant Fans Want ‘Tea’ Spilled As Cryptic Posts Fan Controversy In Miss Universe Philippines 2020,” Interaksyon.philstar.com); in an Instagram story on Sunday, Miss Davao City Alaiza Malinao shared:

So deserving!!! Siya lang po nagme-makeup sa sarili niya. (She was alone applying makeup on herself.)

Habang naghihintay kami sa holding area, si Rabiya nasa gilid ‘yan nagpa-practice mag-Q&A! (While we were waiting at the holding area, Rabiya was on the side practicing Q&A!)

Nung prelims, rumarampa ‘yan sa hallway, sa labas ng holding area namin para mag-practice ng swimsuit walk niya. MASIPAG si Dzai. (During the prelims, she was doing the ramp at the hallway, outside the holding area, practicing her swimsuit walk. Dzai is hardworking.)

I have just googled, and found the appellation “Dzai” a revelation. “The… name Dzai stands for power, practicality, ambition, success, inspiration and discipline[2]” – Meaningslike.com). That’s our Miss Universe Philippines.

Rabiya did her best, and her best was good enough!

She worked hard! She’s fair! She did not cheat. She is a deserving winner! Congratulations @rabiyamateo our Miss Universe Philippines 2020! She is our queen!

I can’t say more after Miss Davao City Alaiza Malinao has spoken.

In that TV 5 interview, Rabiya said:

To be honest po, maybe because I wasn’t a frontrunner, so people didn’t expect me to win. But I know that I did everything and anything that I could during that night. And binigay ko talaga.(And I gave everything.)

A real queen gives everything!@517

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[1]https://www.rappler.com/entertainment/pageants/miss-universe-philippines-2020-rabiya-mateo-response-accusations?utm_medium=Social&utm_campaign=Echobox&utm_source=Facebook&fbclid=IwAR1CyY3yQNHe5KZuqrQkqifxOuRPWGXFpjL9U-EU3-1Dpmg8gVXq7Yxts6M#Echobox=1603790783
[2]http://www.meaningslike.com/lastnames/name-stands-for/dzai