THiNK Journalism

In 1987, Indian scientist and leader MS Swaminathan , former IRRI Director General, 1972-1980, became the very first World Food Prize winner “for developing and spearheading the introduction of high-yielding wheat and rice varieties into India during the 1960s when that country faced the prospect of widespread famine” (World Food Prize Foundation, worldfoodprize.org ). After that, Swaminathan outperformed himself and brainchilded the “ Evergreen Revolution ” that ANN says “involves the integration of ecological principles in technology development and dissemination” (Author Not Named, 16 April 2017, “Father Of Green Revolution Gives Call For ‘Evergreen Revolution’,” Times of India , timesofindia.indiatimes.com ). My translation of the technical: “Go Organic!” Santiago Rigonan Obien (SRO) is the founding Executive Director (ED) of the Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) – he was ED from 1987 to 2000 (when age forced him to retire from government service). 13 years – th

Fundamental Question: “Can Science and Religion mix?” I believe so! A Roman Catholic, I believe that today I have seen how “my religion” can teach me to spread “my science” – now then, I am thinking how my being a Catholic in a community can help spread “The Gospel Of Regenerative Agriculture!” Contrarian. On the Internet, where at 82+ I am much of the time, I am now reading Victor J Stenger , Emeritus Professor of Physics, University of Hawaii, who says (Nov 2014, “Debate: Can Religion And Science Co-Exist?” INEOS, ineos.com ): Religion and science are like oil and water. They might co-exist, but they can never mix to produce a homogeneous medium. Nyet! Prof Stenger has probably never met a science journalist like me whose thinking is creative enough to see that, for instance, the objective is not to produce a homogeneous medium by mixing oil and water – but to allow the two not only to coexist but to cooperate with each other! Which is the major point of my essay today. Now

French Leave? No. French Love, Yes! Via Ms Michèle Boccoz , Ambassador of France, thru Finance Secretary Benjamin Diokno , we Filipinos have a French offering of PhP9 Billion this Valentine’s month. Counting back 2 years, the Philippines signed a PhP14 Billion loan with France “to support local governments’ disaster response.” If you want to measure love of country, let it be in billions!  (Diokno and Boccoz from manilatimes.net ), “Regenerative” from iybssd2022.org ) On Facebook , I read today, Sunday, 19 Feb 2023, the good news from France to help us Filipinos to tackle the bad news: “Cash Countering Climate Change.” France is not sending us her Three Musketeers – friends, she is sending us funds to finance our own army of battlers of Climate Change! Ronnel W Domingo says, “France Offers P8.87B To Help PH Battle Climate Change” (17 January 2023, Inquirer . business.inquirer.net ): The Philippines’ efforts to mitigate the impact of climate change gets an added boost as the go

She died Wednesday, 15 Feb 2023; American actress, model & star Raquel Welch was 82. Filipino writer, I am 82, thank God! For her acting, she received a “Golden Globe” award in 1974 (at age 34); for my writing, I received the one-and-only historical “Outstanding Alumnus For Creative Writing” award from the UP Los Baños Alumni Association in 2011 (at age 71) – no other UP System alumnus recipient before or after. Raquel was dedicated to her art cultivating audiences in movies and on stage; Frank is dedicated to his art of cultivating soils in minds and on grounds – and now The Twain Shall Meet! She was a Virgo, born Thursday, Sept 5; I am a Virgo, born Tuesday, Sept 17 – we were born in the same year: 1940. I am writing about Raquel Welch because of her love for her art: acting. I am writing about farmers because of my love for my art: journalism, and my field: Agriculture. Both arts are self-proclaimed. She did not capitalize on her sex appeal with pictures; me, I would rathe

Yes, I'm thinking of Filipina journalist & Rappler CEO Maria Ressa’s N obel Peace Prize she co-won in 2021 with Russian journalist Dmitry Muratov . Thinking without envy . Rather, I am thinking of my own Nobel with my “THiNK! Journalism” – the term & concept of which I first came out with on 24 Oct 2017. I have always been an original! (“#Myth” from careerninja.in ), “World Press” from republicworld.com ) In the meantime, the practitioners of Truth Journalism , including Rappler’s own journalists, had kept complaining about being prevented from “Seeing and Saying the Truth.” The problem with their Truth is that it cannot even pass the “Rotary 4-Way Test!” – 1. Is it the TRUTH? 2. Is it FAIR to all concerned? 3. Will it build GOODWILL and BETTER FRIENDSHIPS? 4. Will it be BENEFICIAL to all concerned? Today, I go back to my THiNK! Journalism that I had forgotten in the last 6 years. My friend JAQ had inspired me today, Friday, 17 Feb 2023, to practice 100% my

In 1959, when I came in as Freshman at the UPCA, now UP Los Baños, IRRI was starting to become. In 1965, I graduated with a BSA major in Ag Edu; in 1966, IRRI “graduated” from low-yielding rice varieties to “IR8,” which produced almost 10 tons/ha – vs 01 ton in traditional varieties – with 120 kg of nitrogen (N) per hectare (“Miracle Rice,” Farming In The 1950s & 60s , livinghistoryfarm.org ). What happened? The whole rice world rejoiced – Rice, Rice, Rise! What happened? More than 60 years later, our farmers are deeper in debt and the Philippines is drowning in the Climate Crisis! What has Miracle Rice wrought?! “Naghangad ng kagitna, isang salop ang nawala.” Translation by Ling (Ling, ling-app.com ): “He who takes a lot of risks loses more than he can gain.” My translation: “You lust more, you lose more.” With IRRI’s Miracle Rice (IR8), we have been enjoying the high yields for more than 60 years – and suffering from Climate Change , which is brought about by greenhouse

Follow-up of my yesterday’s blogpost volunteering without being asked about what to do with the news on President Ferdinand “BBM” Marcos Jr’s fruitful visit to Japan, bringing back to Manila 7 deals, including Agriculture and the Digital Economy – 2 of my favorite topics! I earned my BSA from UP Los Baños, 1965; I learned my digital skills on my own, from writing to editing to desktop publishing. So, what else is new?!  (“Think Forward 2023” from wearesocial.com ), a Japanese website. Yesterday, I blogged: “PH Agriculture – Good News And Bad News, Coming From Japan!” where I said: “BBM Sir, Let’s Go Digital In Organic Agriculture With Japan’s Expertise!” (15 Feb 2023, THiNK Journalism , ithinkjournalism.blogspot.com ). Yes Sir, BBM, I'm ready for my country enriching herself with Regenerative Agriculture (RA). Where “regeneration” means “rebirth.” That is, thinking forward, to indicate the target of an innovative PH Agriculture that is dedicated to solving Farmer Poverty an

From where I sit, on an executive chair that has stood the test of time (and my sitting sometimes all day), I can see that my President Ferdinand “BBM” Marcos Jr has brought from his first Japan’s official visit this February good news – and bad news! Good News: “Marcos Visit: PH, Japan Ink 7 Deals On Infrastructure, Defense, Agriculture” ( Sofia Tomacruz , 09 Feb 2023, Rappler , rappler.com ). Ms Sofia says: Through an MOC on agriculture, Marcos and Kishida agreed to establish a joint committee on agriculture to tackle opportunities for technology exchanges and the broadening of Philippine access to Japanese markets for agricultural projects. Good News And Bad News: Ms Sofia also says: (1st UPDATE) A memorandum of cooperation on information and communications technology aims to bring Japan's expertise to Philippine efforts to transition to a digital economy. That implies that we Filipinos are not yet digital in economy , and as a digital denizen since 1991, I know t

It’s Tuesday, 14 Feb 2023 – “Happy Valentine’s Day” World! No matter that respected Ancient Green philosopher Aristotle said, “A friend to all is a friend to none,” as our friend JAQ reminds me. Ah, “If you love everyone, you love even your enemies.” And friends, that’s exactly what I want beginning today! (“Happy Valentine’s” from celebrating.com.au ; “Love your enemies” from istockphoto.com ) Climate Change (CC) is upon us, and there is no love lost between CC and Primates – that is why, in the last 15 years, I have been calling for Primate Change (PC) since I posted “Primate Change? Or Climate Change?” in my blog The American Frank , theamericanfrank.wordpress.com . [That blogpost became Chapter 21 of my first ICRISAT book, titled Team ICRISAT Champions The Poor, published Dec 2007; the essay title was: “Primate Change? Or Climate Change? You Choose! – The Blogal Village Voice” (pp 102-115). Eventually, ICRISAT based in India published 7 books of mine as an international write

When my President Ferdinand “BBM” Marcos Jr signed the “Philippine Development Plan for 2023-2028” (The Plan) on 30 Jan 2023, it was for good governance – “What else?” Asking for a friend! Looking for the National Vision accompanied by Mission accompanied by Strategy – That’s the very first Climate Change I expect! Atlassian says, “A mission statement defines the organization’s business, its objectives, and how it will reach these objectives. A vision statement details where the organization aspires to go” ( atlassian.com ). Correspondingly, I look at “Vision” as “Desired Future” and “Mission” as “Way/s to Get There” for our dear Philippines. Now then, I ask, respectfully: “Where is the Vision and the corresponding Mission for my country under BBM?” From the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA), Daphne Galvez says (31 Jan 2023, “Marcos Jr signs Philippine Development Plan for 2023-2028” ( governance.neda.gov.ph ): President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr has

Thank you, ADB, IFAD and World Bank for your billion-dollar agriculture projects for the Philippines! Today, Friday, 10 Feb 2023, in one quick digital search, I count a total of US$1.6 billion. As an agriculturist (UP Los Baños 1965, BS Agriculture major in Agricultural Education) focused on “ Communication for Development ” (ComDev), my original 40-year-old concept – I will now scrutinize your projects as they relate to National Development via Agriculture. I am now looking at the IFAD, ADB, World Bank projects in the Philippines for agriculture development: ADB has a “ Competitive and Inclusive Agriculture Development Program, Subprogram 1 (RRP PHI 53353) ” (“R isk Assessment And Risk Management Plan” in pdf, ADB, adb.org ). The financing support for PH efforts in agricultural development, from my quick search, has IFAD with US$845 million, ADB with US$500 million, and World Bank with US$280 million (PRDP). ADB: The policy-based loan (PBL) is aligned with the Philippine D

Surprised? People all over the world have been associating genius with Albert Einstein , with his Theory of Relativity – proof of his mathematical brilliance. Actually, we can find a multitude of geniuses among us right now. Let us start by discussing Harvard professor Howard Gardner’s revolutionary brainstorm, the “Theory of Multiple Intelligences (MI).”  (Einstein from quora.com ) Here is Gardner’s list of 9 intelligences (expressed in heightened abilities): (1) Bodily-kinesthetic – athletic (2) Existential – aware of life broadly (3) Interpersonal – understanding of others (4) Intrapersonal – understanding oneself (5) Linguistic-verbal – adept with language & writing (6) Logical-mathematical – expert with numbers, relationships (7) Musical – appreciative of rhythm, sounds (8) Naturalistic – nature-loving (9) Visual-spatial – art-loving My good friend JAQ has challenged me to write about “multiple intelligences” in relation to Filipino national hero Jose Rizal of w

“What Now, Department Of Agriculture?” asks UP Diliman Professor and Inquirer opinion writer Meliton B Juanico (06 Feb 2023, Inquirer.net, opinion.inquirer.net ) . A UP Los Baños alumnus, I say, “Good question!” Mr Juanico emphasizes this: “One of the country’s pressing needs now is the appointment of a full-time [Secretary of Agriculture]” – I say, “Right!” President Ferdinand “BBM” Marcos Jr continues as Interim Agriculture Secretary, but as Mr Juanico necessarily and unhappily points out, BBM “does not initiate crucial solutions to our woefully dysfunctional agricultural economic system” (my emphasis). Continuing, Mr Juanico describes what he calls a “monopsonistic-oligopsonistic distribution system of farm products characterized by the multilayered system of from four to as many as eight middlemen who depress farm gate prices to ensure their own profitability and who are controlled by cartelized urban merchants…” Yes Sir, Mr Juanico – our country has reported “high GDP grow