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HOW THE GOVERNMENT, THE PRIVATE SECTOR, THE ACADEME AND THE CIVIL SOCIETY COULD WORK TOWARDS FOOD SECURITY

HOW THE GOVERNMENT, THE PRIVATE SECTOR, THE ACADEME AND THE CIVIL SOCIETY COULD WORK TOWARDS FOOD SECURITY It is often said that Filipino farmers cannot succeed because they lack four basic resources: irrigation, access to credit, post-harvest facilities and farm-to-market roads. That may be true, but I believe our farmers need much more than these four resources. Amid all the problems and bad news coming from our agricultural sector, there is a bright spot that deserves attention. It is a simple example from Tanay, Rizal, showing how the government, private sector, academe and civil society can work together. In cooperation with the Department of Agriculture (DA), the Local Government Unit of Tanay provided mechanized shredders to Moolk Farm, a private agricultural enterprise. The machines were manufactured by RU Foundry and Machinery, Inc. of Bacolod City. But the story does not end with the delivery of machinery. Ramon Uy, Sr., who operates the company, also teaches farmers compost...
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WHAT DOES MEXICO’S DUAL DECISION TO REPLACE GENETICALLY MODIFIED CORN AND BAN GLYPHOSATE MEAN?

WHAT DOES MEXICO’S DUAL DECISION TO REPLACE GENETICALLY MODIFIED CORN AND BAN GLYPHOSATE MEAN? What should we make of Mexico’s decision to protect its native corn and prohibit the planting of genetically modified corn? And what can the Philippines learn from it? First, let us clarify something. Mexico has indeed amended its Constitution to protect native corn and prohibit the planting of genetically modified corn. The reform describes corn as an element of national identity and calls for protection of biodiversity, food sovereignty and agroecological production.  But Mexico has not yet completely banned glyphosate . It has been trying to phase it out while searching for practical alternatives. In September 2025, Mexico prohibited 35 hazardous pesticides, but glyphosate was not among them.  This distinction is important because there are both advantages and disadvantages. The advantage is obvious: Mexico is protecting biodiversity, traditional seeds and its ability to determine...
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HOW TO COMBINE RAINWATER COLLECTION, FLOODWATER IMPOUNDING AND AQUACULTURE

HOW TO COMBINE RAINWATER COLLECTION, FLOODWATER IMPOUNDING AND AQUACULTURE Everyone is complaining about floods, but I still do not see a complete and holistic solution to the problem. I do not claim to have the full answer. But perhaps we can start with some obvious ideas: rainwater collection, floodwater impounding and aquaculture. Our laws already recognize the importance of rainwater collection. Republic Act 6716, enacted in 1989, provides for rainwater collectors in all barangays, although the law assigns the construction responsibility primarily to DPWH. The question is: after all these years, why do we still seem to be treating rainwater as something to get rid of instead of something to save? The same question applies to floodwater. Why wait for another law before we start impounding water? We already know that strong floods kill people and destroy homes, farms, roads and businesses. If we can slow down floodwater upstream and temporarily store it, why shouldn't we do so? W...
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MUNICH HAS PROVEN THAT IT IS CHEAPER TO CONVERT TO ORGANIC FARMING THAN TO FILTER WATER CONTAMINATED BY CHEMICAL FERTILIZERS

MUNICH HAS PROVEN THAT IT IS CHEAPER TO CONVERT TO ORGANIC FARMING THAN TO FILTER WATER CONTAMINATED BY CHEMICAL FERTILIZERS What kind of government is able to discover an opportunity at the crossroads of water management and agricultural policy ? Apparently, the government of Munich did. When Munich's municipal water utility, Stadtwerke München (SWM), became concerned about agricultural pollution in its drinking-water catchment, it did not simply wait for the problem to become a water-treatment problem. In 1992, it launched the Ökobauern program to encourage farmers in the Mangfall Valley to shift from conventional to organic farming.  The idea was surprisingly simple: pay farmers to protect the water. SWM compensated farmers for income losses and investments associated with converting to organic agriculture. The first 23 farms signed agreements in 1993. Today, more than 185 farmers are participating in the Mangfall Valley, farming about 4,600 to 4,650 hectares organically. ...
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WHY GOOD SOIL AND WATER MANAGEMENT IS THE KEY TO SUCCESSFUL ORGANIC FARMING

WHY GOOD SOIL AND WATER MANAGEMENT IS THE KEY TO SUCCESSFUL ORGANIC FARMING Food is supposed to give us life, and not kill us. As stewards of God’s creation, we are supposed to protect the earth in general and the land that we cultivate in particular. And that includes the soil upon which we grow our food. Using our God-given common sense, we should know that we must keep the soil alive . If the soil dies, how can we continue growing the food that keeps us alive? Unfortunately, we seem to be doing the opposite. It is ironic that we use chemicals to kill insects that feed on our crops, and then continue eating those crops. It is equally ironic that we apply excessive chemical fertilizers to increase production while neglecting the biological life of the soil that actually helps plants grow. The grand irony is this: we are poisoning the soil that gives us food, and then worrying about the quality of the food produced from that soil. This is why I find the work of the Department of Agricu...
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COULD WE FINALLY PRODUCE A FILIPINO CAR, OR HAVE WE ALREADY DONE IT?

COULD WE FINALLY PRODUCE A FILIPINO CAR, OR HAVE WE ALREADY DONE IT? It has been so long since I wrote an essay advocating that we should build the first Filipino car. At that time, electric vehicles were not yet in the market. We were talking about ICE engines , or Internal Combustion Engines, and one of our biggest problems was that we could not manufacture our own engines. I remember the late Senator Raul S. Manglapus advocating the idea of a Filipino car. Unfortunately, perhaps the Philippines was simply not ready at that time. Meanwhile, Malaysia went ahead with the Proton Saga, using a Mitsubishi engine. South Korea produced the Hyundai Pony, also with Mitsubishi technology. Taiwan produced the Yulon Feeling 101, using a Nissan engine. What did we do? We produced the Sakbayan , but hesitated to call it a Filipino car because it used Volkswagen components. Yet the Sakbayan was locally assembled and had locally produced bodywork. In fact, it is widely regarded as the first car des...
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WHAT HAPPENS TO INDIGENOUS PEOPLES OUTSIDE THEIR ANCESTRAL AREAS?

WHAT HAPPENS TO INDIGENOUS PEOPLES OUTSIDE THEIR ANCESTRAL AREAS? Due to various reasons, there are now Badjao and Mamanwa communities living outside their traditional areas. I deliberately say ancestral areas , because they may not have Certificates of Ancestral Domain Titles (CADTs) where they originally came from. I also say communities , because these are not merely individuals or isolated families. They may still have their tribal structures, elders and customary relationships, even though they have left their traditional homes. This raises an important social question: Is it more difficult to protect Indigenous Peoples when they are outside their ancestral domains? The situation of the Mamanwa in Basey, Samar gives us a concrete example. The NCIP documented 35 migrant Mamanwa families whose roots are in Surigao , and actually visited them together with DSWD, DILG and other agencies.  The NCIP has also documented Badjao communities in Mambaling, Cebu City, including efforts to...
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