Frank And Healthy Minds

This is the first time in my writing & editing career of almost 5 decades, print as well as digital, when I have a long title for anything I have written, essay or technical paper or book: 30 words. Why? Because I’m excited by the news as well as the online newsletter – congrats to Jhomai S Canlas, Editor-in-Chief! Above, you are looking at the cover of SAADvocacy , “The official newsletter of the Special   Area for Agricultural Development Program” (SAAD) of the Philippine Department of Agriculture (DA), which is under Secretary of Agriculture William Dar , since August 2019. A biannual, this is Vol 3 Issue 6.1, available online, downloadable, free . The cover headline says Misamis Occidental farmers are to receive strawberry production interventions from SAAD, which is a DA program designed to encourage and assist farmers and fishers to have and to hold livelihood projects and enterprises. I don’t know him from Adam, but I can see Myer G Mula is inspiring as Program Directo...

UPLB’s College of Public Affairs & Development (CPAf) sponsored last March 21-25 “The 2nd International Conference on Governance Development (ICGD2)” held via Zoom and Facebook Live. “Overwhelming” is my one word for it. Watch now! Trisha Jasmin DM Cañeda has written about it – “DOST-PCAARRD Supports The 2nd International Conference On Governance And Development [1] ” (15 June 2021, PCAARRD.dost.gov.ph ). Ms Trisha writes that PCAARRD supported the governance and development (GaD) conference that was co-sponsored by the Philippine Extension and Advisory Services Network. The GaD conference was for “addressing the challenges due to the Covid-19 pandemic to governance actors and… society through identifying innovative teaching technologies in the ‘new normal.’” Great! I’m an old blogger (since 2005) and an ancient teacher (UPLB ‘65), so I appreciate the new aim of “identifying innovative teaching technologies in the ‘new normal.’” “Innovative teaching technologies.” So, Ms Trisha ...

Above, in the issue of Philippines Economic Update June 2021, the World Bank features the Philippine Rural Development Project (PRDP) as “A Model for Capacity Building.” The PRDP is funded by the World Bank and implemented by the Department of Agriculture (DA). Congratulations, Secretary of Agriculture William Dar ! A total of 56 pages, the Update says in the Preface : The Philippines Economic Update… summarizes key economic and social developments, important policy changes, and the evolution of external conditions over the past six months. It also presents findings from recent World Bank analyses, situating them in the context of the country’s long-term development trends and assessing their implications for the country’s medium-term economic outlook. The update covers issues ranging from macroeconomic management and financial-market dynamics to the complex challenges of poverty reduction and social development. It is intended to serve the needs of a wide audience, including policy...

15 June 2021 – The Department of Science & Technology (DoST) is celebrating “63 Years Of Serving The People Through Science, Technology, And Innovation.” I ask: What exactly is/are there to celebrate for? DoST is not saying! The image above, from the Facebook page of DoST itself, “#ScienceForThePeople,” is as is: Empty . Somebody forgot? Or somebody didn’t do his/her homework! “63 years of serving the people through science, technology and innovation,” and all that can be shown is an empty (an incomplete) circle? There must be a good explanation, and I am going to search for it now. (1)   No, it is not for lack of warm bodies! DoST has the following attached agencie s [1] ( Biosafety Clearinghouse of the Philippines ): 2 councils: Philippine Council for Industry, Energy and Emerging Technology Research & Development (PCIEERD); Philippine Council for Health Research & Development (PCHRD); 11 service institutes: (1)     Advanced Science & Techno...

Same assistances, different peoples. That is what the Department of Agriculture (DA) and the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP) are jointly doing for the great many PH indigenous tribes from Luzon, the Visayas, and Mindanao. The assistance is to generate livelihoods and at the same time “safeguard the customs, traditions, values, beliefs, and interests of the communities,” says Edelmira Luminarias , DA Caraga 4K Program Focal Person (Kent Warren H Fugoso, 27 February 2021, “Bridging Knowledge, Closing The Gap: IPs In Agriculture,” PIA.gov.ph ). Caraga is in northeastern Mindanao. I am looking at 3 reports on the communities of indigenous peoples (IPs): from Bataan, Caraga, and Surigao. In these and other locations, the DA has partnered with the NCIP. In Bataan, according to the PIA, the partnership has launched a program with a very long name! 32 words in all: “Ayta Ambala Kabuhayan at Kaunlaran para sa Kababayang Katutubo Indigenous Peoples Culturally Responsive, Soci...

11 June 2021, ANN says the latest good news from Secretary of Agriculture William Dar is this: “In addition to ‘chicken yakitori;’ the Philippines can now export processed meat products to Japan.” The news is titled, “Phl Can Now Export Processed Meat Products To Japa n [1] ”  (Author Not Named, DA.gov.ph ). Now, let us read between the lines. Why did it take so long?! ANN says: Since 2003, the Department of Agriculture (DA), through its National Meat Inspection Service (NMIS), has implemented the mandatory application of the HACCP program in all licensed “Triple A” (AAA) meat establishments. HACCP is a science-based, systematic protocol that identifies hazards and measures for their control to ensure food safety. After 18 years, the Japanese Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare (MHLW) certified that the Philippines has passed the Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point-based (HACCP) hygiene management standards. That tells us that it takes highly dedicated leadership to...

Saturday, 12 June 2021, we are celebrating a flawed declaration of Philippine Independence – and you were ignorant of that! I am proud being a Filipino, but I am not proud knowing the incorrect history of my country! No, in the town of Cavite-Viejo, Province of Cavite, on the 12th day of June 1898, what was executed was not a “Declaration of Philippine Independence” but a “Declaration of Philippine Dependence.” 2 letters make an historic difference – It’s time to know correct history! I had googled for “Philippine Independence Day” and reached the website of Filipino.biz.ph showing the document titled “Declaration of Philippine Independence.” And this one has an un/pleasant surprise! Why am I writing this article to correct an historical error when I am not an historian? Because I want you to know that as a journalist, I do not hesitate to search and search again and again for more facts and/or details when I am writing, especially now that we have the Internet as a limitless libr...