Here comes Leonardo Montemayor sharing on Facebook Karl R Ocampo's news item, "Desperate, Farmers Make Do With What Little They Have" (18 October 2019, Inquirer.Net, business.inquirer.net). I have noted that Mr Montemayor's Facebook sharings tend to be negative, as if the new Department of Agriculture, DA, has done nothing to provide relief to the "desperate" farmers since August when Secretary of Agriculture William Dar/Manong Willie took over the headship of the Department of Agriculture, DA.
What does this farmer leader want for his rice farmers – instant wealth!?
Aside from that, as a journalist, I also note that the usual media – Inquirer, Manila Bulletin, Philippine Star – are using only the latest report of the United States Department of Agriculture-Foreign Agricultural Service – but not the latest report of the Philippine Department of Agriculture!
Is it that our journalists are too lazy to do their research that they grab the latest available report and write from there? Or is that they believe in the American authorities but not the Filipino authorities?
As to the Facebook behavior of Mr Montemayor, I attribute it to intellectual indolence – or the habitual refusal to know more than what one already does. Note that I am notsaying Mr Montemayor is dumb – maybe just playing dumb?
The reporters Karl R Ocampo of Inquirer.Net (facebook.com), Louise Maureen Simeon (The Philippine Star, philstar.com), and Madelaine B Miraflor (Manila Bulletin, business.mb.com.ph):
All lazily used only one source for their news: the USDA report!
Is this a new development in Philippine journalism, or is it that I have not been paying attention except now?
Well, I myself prefer to write in English and not the so-called Filipino as national language – I fell in love with the English language when I was in high school yet more than 60 years ago! The library of our high school, Rizal Junior College (HS Dept), was filled with books and other reading matters, including TIME Magazine and Newsweek – and my favorite, the Reader's Digest.
But to prefer the USDA report on PH Agriculture over our own DA or LGU reports on the latest developments is unforgivable.
Why can Rapplerkeep on reporting on the rice issue based on local sources but not the Inquirer, Manila Bulletin, and Philippine Star? Are the journalists of Rappler made of more sagacious stuff?
Why does Mr Ocampo write:
With not a lot of options left, smallholder farmers would have to continue planting… with fewer implements and fewer harvests.
The "fewer implements and fewer harvests" are incorrect! Mr Ocampo the journalist does notknow that the DA in fact has been distributing machineries here and there? (For instance, let him read my essay, "National Plan To Modernize PH Agriculture – Here Comes Pangasinan 5th District!" 16 October 2019, Ani Kita, ianikita.blogspot.com.). About "fewer harvests," I do not know where Mr Ocampo got that idea.
Mr Ocampo quotes the USDA report as saying, "Progressive rice producers will become more efficient." Why cannot all rice growers become more efficient with all the financial, technological and technical help the DA is providing them?!@517
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