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HOW CAN WE ACHIEVE FOOD SECURITY BY WAY OF FOOD INDEPENDENCE?

HOW CAN WE ACHIEVE FOOD SECURITY BY WAY OF FOOD INDEPENDENCE? I was recently invited to a Senate hearing to discuss the impact of rising oil prices on agriculture. I made a simple suggestion: instead of spending billions on imported synthetic fertilizers, why not use that same budget to support locally produced organic fertilizers? To me, this is not just policy—it is common sense. We are now facing what I would call a “Catch-22.” If we continue relying on synthetic fertilizers, we risk shortages and skyrocketing prices due to global supply disruptions. But if we shift to organic fertilizers, many farmers hesitate because there is no guaranteed market. In other words, farmers will not produce what no one is willing to buy. So who breaks this deadlock? The government. With agencies like the Department of Agriculture holding both the mandate and the budget, the solution is straightforward: guarantee the purchase of organic fertilizers. Once farmers know there is a sure buyer, production ...
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HOW DO WE CONVINCE ALL FILIPINOS THAT POVERTY REDUCTION SHOULD BE OUR TOP PRIORITY?

HOW DO WE CONVINCE ALL FILIPINOS THAT POVERTY REDUCTION SHOULD BE OUR TOP PRIORITY? Let me say this as plainly as I can: poverty in the Philippines is not just a social issue—it is a national emergency that has been going on for decades. And yet, we still treat it as if it were optional. According to the Philippine Statistics Authority, millions of Filipinos continue to live below the poverty line, while many more hover just above it, one crisis away from falling back. Globally, the United Nations has already declared “No Poverty” as the first of the Sustainable Development Goals. The message is clear: if we do not solve poverty, we solve nothing. So why are we still not united behind this priority? Perhaps the problem is how we explain it. For too long, poverty has been framed as charity—as if helping the poor were simply an act of kindness. That is a mistake. Poverty is not charity. Poverty is bad economics. When millions of Filipinos have no purchasing power, our economy cannot grow...
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HOW CAN WE GROW SALINE RICE IN THE PHILIPPINES?

HOW CAN WE GROW SALINE RICE IN THE PHILIPPINES? For a country with one of the longest coastlines in the world, it is almost ironic that we are still struggling to grow rice in areas touched by saltwater. The idea of saline or salt-tolerant rice is not new. In fact, institutions like the Philippine Rice Research Institute and the International Rice Research Institute have long developed varieties such as Salinas and Saltol lines designed precisely for these conditions. So the real question is not whether we can grow saline rice—but why we have not done it aggressively. Dr. Teodoro Mendoza, in his article on “seawater rice,” reminds us that this innovation “expands cultivation into previously unproductive coastal and degraded lands” and could help feed millions more people. He cited China’s experience, where salt-tolerant rice has moved beyond experiments into large-scale production, with yields reaching as high as 4.6 metric tons per acre. If that is possible elsewhere, why not here? Af...
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HOW COULD FARMERS MAKE THEIR OWN FEEDS?

HOW COULD FARMERS MAKE THEIR OWN FEEDS? Perhaps unknown to many Filipinos, a large portion of our animal feed ingredients—such as fish meal, soybean meal, and meat and bone meal—are imported. That means our food security is tied not only to our farms, but to global supply chains. And what happens when those supply chains are disrupted? The answer is simple and frightening: no feed, no livestock; no livestock, no food. This is why I believe that farmers must be empowered to produce their own feeds using local resources. Not as a luxury—but as a necessity. A balanced animal feed has four basic components: energy, protein, vitamins and minerals, and roughage. For energy, we already have abundant local options: corn, cassava, sorghum, rice bran, and even root crops like sweet potato. These are cheaper and more accessible than imported grains. For protein—the most critical and expensive component—we must be more creative. Instead of relying heavily on imported soybean meal or fish meal, we ...
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HOW CAN WE INTEGRATE THE DEVELOPMENT OF ALTERNATIVE FUELS IN THE PHILIPPINES?

HOW CAN WE INTEGRATE THE DEVELOPMENT OF ALTERNATIVE FUELS IN THE PHILIPPINES? The Department of Energy has set a target of reaching 50% renewable energy share by 2050 under the Philippine Energy Plan. Admirable, yes—but is it enough? In my opinion, we should aim higher and sooner: 55% by 2040. Some may say that is too ambitious. I say it may not even be optional. With global oil prices becoming unpredictable, and with energy security at stake, we might not have the luxury of slow transitions. The real issue, however, is not the lack of ideas. It is the lack of integration. Today, alternative fuels in the Philippines are being developed from many directions—biofuels, waste-to-energy, gasifiers, even experimental crops. But where is the unified roadmap? Where is the clear assignment of roles? Without coordination, we risk wasting both time and resources. Let us simplify the landscape. Broadly speaking, alternative fuels fall into two categories: biofuels and waste-derived fuels. Biofuels...
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HOW COULD WE IMPROVE THE PHILIPPINE ORGAN DONATION SYSTEM?

HOW COULD WE IMPROVE THE PHILIPPINE ORGAN DONATION SYSTEM? I find it hard to believe that in a country of more than 110 million people, we have barely over a hundred registered organ donors. That is not even a fraction of one percent. Compare that with countries like the United States, where roughly 60% of adults are registered donors, and the gap becomes not just alarming—but tragic. What happened to us? We cannot say that we lack laws. We already have Republic Act No. 7170. The legal framework exists. The intent is clear. But as in many other areas, we seem better at writing laws than implementing them. So where is the real problem? At first glance, one might think it is technical. It is not. We already have systems like the Philippine Network for Organ Sharing, and we are more than capable of building modern databases for matching donors and recipients. Technology is not our bottleneck. Is it financial? Again, I doubt it. The cost of building a functional system is minimal compared ...
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WHAT IS APPROPRIATE TECHNOLOGY AND HOW COULD WE USE IT FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT?

WHAT IS APPROPRIATE TECHNOLOGY AND HOW COULD WE USE IT FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT? There was a time when “appropriate technology” was the buzzword in the development circles. Today, the fashionable term is “sustainable development.” But are they really different—or are they simply two sides of the same coin? The concept of appropriate technology was popularized by E. F. Schumacher in his landmark book Small Is Beautiful . His message was simple but powerful: technology must have a human face. It must fit the people who use it—not the other way around. Decades later, that idea remains as relevant as ever. Appropriate technology is not about being anti-modern or anti-progress. It is about being sensible. It asks a very basic question: is this technology suitable for the local context? Is it affordable? Can it be maintained locally? Does it respect the environment and culture of the community? If the answer is no, then no matter how advanced it is, it may not be appropriate. Take a simpl...
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