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  ARE THERE NATIONAL LAWS REQUIRING THE GOVERNMENT TO BUY LOCAL PRODUCTS? The short answer is yes. The long answer is more complicated—and more troubling. Because while we already have many laws requiring the government to buy local goods, the real issue is this: why are we still importing so much? Let’s start with the basics. The recently enacted Republic Act No. 11981 is perhaps the most ambitious policy to date. It clearly mandates that the government must give preference to Filipino products. Not just symbolic preference—but actual, measurable advantage. Under the law, local suppliers can win bids even if their prices are up to 15% higher than foreign competitors. In other words, the government is allowed to pay a little more to support Filipino industries. That is not a sign of  inefficiency. That is strategy. But this is not new. As early as 1936, we already had the Commonwealth Act No. 138, which required government agencies to prioritize local products. Decades later, ...

HOW TO COMBINE SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE, CLIMATE CHANGE ADAPTATION AND ECOLOGICAL CONSERVATION If we want real solutions to food insecurity, climate change, and environmental degradation, we have to stop treating them as separate problems. They are one and the same. And the best place to solve them is not in conferences, not in policy papers—but in our schools. Let me be very clear: universities and colleges should now become the frontline of sustainable development. Not just as centers of theory, but as centers of practice. We already have the foundation. Institutions like the University of the Philippines system, state universities, and local colleges have expertise in agriculture, fisheries, forestry, and environmental science. But these are often taught in isolation. Why not combine them? Imagine if every university offered integrated courses on sustainable agriculture, climate change adaptation, and ecological conservation. Not as electives—but as core programs. Courses that combin...

HOW CAN THE GOVERNMENT PROVIDE MORE SUPPORT TO FILIPINO INVENTORS? Let me say this bluntly: Filipino inventors do not lack talent. What they lack is a system. Yes, the government—through the Department of Science and Technology and its Technology Application and Promotion Institute—is already providing grants. That is commendable. But let us be honest: the funds are limited, the beneficiaries are few, and the process is slow. Innovation cannot thrive on scarcity. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. himself recently acknowledged that inventors face difficulties not only in funding, but more importantly in bringing their ideas to market. That is the real issue—the so-called “valley of death” between invention and commercialization. So the question is: what should the government really do? First, go beyond grants. Grants are good for starting—but not for scaling. What inventors need is end-to-end support. From idea, to prototype, to production, to market. In short, an innovation pipeline. Seco...

INTEGRATED FARM SCHOOL OR NATIONAL SOLUTION? What if we build a place where farming, science, tourism, and livelihood all come together? Not just another farm. Not just another resort. But a living, working ecosystem. I am talking about an Integrated Sustainable Agriculture and Eco-Learning Hub—a place that is part farm school, part nature park, part eco-resort, part research center, and part livelihood incubator. At first glance, it sounds ambitious. But when you look closely, it is actually common sense. The Philippines today faces a triple problem: food insecurity, environmental degradation, and rural poverty. Yet the irony is this—we already have the solutions. They are scattered across universities, research centers, and pilot projects. The problem is fragmentation. Knowledge exists, but access does not. Take the University of the Philippines system, for example. Different campuses have already developed technologies in agriculture, fisheries, forestry, and environmental science. ...

HOW TO PREVENT FOOD AND WATER SHORTAGES As the old saying goes, an ounce of prevention is better than a pound of cure. That may sound cliché, but when it comes to food and water security, it could literally mean the difference between survival and disaster. No, I am not saying that shortages will definitely happen tomorrow. But the warning signs are already visible. Farmers are complaining that the prices of chemical fertilizers have become too expensive. Some are even refusing to plant because they fear losing money instead of earning from their harvests. The reason is obvious. Synthetic fertilizers are heavily dependent on fossil fuels. When oil prices rise because of wars, supply disruptions, or geopolitical tensions, fertilizer prices also rise. And when farmers stop planting, the equation becomes very simple: if farmers do not plant, we do not eat. Some people still believe that imports will save us. But what if exporting countries also experience shortages? What if they decide to...

AN URGENT APPEAL TO THE PRESIDENT TO SUPPORT THE ORGANIC FERTILIZER INDUSTRY Many people still do not realize that the manufacturing of organic fertilizers is already a legitimate industry by itself, separate and distinct from agriculture. It may not require giant factories or complicated machinery, but it still involves a manufacturing process that converts waste materials into products of value. At the very least, it should already qualify as a nationwide cottage industry capable of employing thousands of Filipinos. More importantly, it could become one of the pillars of our national food security. Today, the Philippines remains dangerously dependent on imported chemical fertilizers whose prices are dictated by foreign wars, oil shocks and shipping disruptions. The tensions in the Middle East and the uncertainty surrounding the Strait of Hormuz should already serve as a wake-up call. If oil supplies become restricted, fertilizer prices will rise further, transport costs will soar, an...