“Did You Know PH Had A ‘Golden Time’ During Ferdinand ‘FM’ Marcos’ Presidency? Asking As A Friend!” – Frank A Hilario

This is an FBI speaking, full-blooded Ilocano, with grandfather roots from Rosario, La Union. I'm proud to say I voted for Ferdinand “FM” Marcos Sr in the 1965 elections. Today, amidst all the sad & bad talks & thoughts, as an agriculturist (UPLB ‘65), I reminisce about “Masagana 99” – I call the “Golden Years of PH Agriculture: 1973-1978.”

We exported rice in 1977-78 (“Masagana 99,” Wikipedia, en.wikipedia.org). (21 Sept is also “World Gratitude Day” – God, thank you for even the little things!)

ANN says, “Masagana 99 Both A Success And A Failure, Experts Say” (Author Not Named, 30 Sept 2020, University of the Philippines Los Baños, uplb.edu.ph):

In 1973, an agricultural program aimed at solving the country’s then-worsening rice shortage was developed. It was called “Masagana 99,” after the Filipino word for “bountiful” and the target number of cavans per hectare of rice to be produced under the program.

According to Edgardo Quisumbing, former deputy implementer of the program, “Masagana 99” was at its core… in response to the severe rice shortage due to pests and natural disasters occurring at the time.

This package, he said, was made up of high-yielding rice varieties and low-cost pesticides and fertilizers, alongside a supervised credit scheme that enabled the farmers to purchase [those technologies].

“Masagana 99” succeeded, and PH exported rice in 1977-78. We showed the world Filipinos could produce the rice we needed, and then some!
(“Masagana 99” from youtube.com)

I was Editor In Chief of the 3 publications of the Forest Research Institute (FORI) at that time – monthly newsletter Canopy, quarterly technical journal Sylvatrop, and quarterly color magazine Habitat. FORI showed the world even self-taught Filipino writers & editors could produce the publications we needed, and excel. Today, why not show the world the intelligence we have?

I know one “good reason” why “Masagana 99” “went bad”– as the number of cavans of rice multiplied, the number of farmer-borrowers defaulting on credit also multiplied!

The major lesson that I see is this: “Government must have faith in the farmers, while the farmers must show faith in the government.”

Today,  21 Sept 2022, the 50^th Anniversary of PH Martial Law, some activists and contrarians bring out anti-Martial Law placards (like, “Never Again, Never Forget”) and their hate.
(“Never Again” from UP-OVCSA,.facebook.com)

They are entitled to their grievances – but what about those who must never forget to live on and hope? What about the farmers and their families who want to live in peace – and prosperity?

That is why some 57 years ago when I discovered it for myself, I embraced the philosophy of Organic Agriculture, now enlarged to Regenerative Agriculture (RA). Today, given Climate Change, enjoying their rights, farmers have the duty to themselves and their country to follow the science of RA that promises to bring them out of poverty and at the same time bring society out of the dangers of Climate Change.

Farmers must enjoy their rights – they must also contribute to the good of society!@517