Sagada & How To Grow The Best Coffee In The World – Rituals & Economies Of Scale

Now comes a refreshing thought from old, rice monoculture Philippines. Margaux Salcedo says, "Sagada Rituals Make For 'Best Coffee In The World'" (24 February 2019, Inquirer.Net, business.inquirer.net). The above image shows Goad Sibayan, Cordillera coffee grower par excellance,  first farmer partner of Rich Watanabe of the Coffee Heritage Project, CHP, "an initiative that seeks to partner with farmers around the country and encourage coffee production while preserving various indigenous or local peoples' agricultural traditions and practices." In 2012, Rich opened the SGD Coffee Roastery, a coffee shop in Maginhawa in Quezon City, "a cafe/bistro selling and serving single origin beans from Sagada." If you ask Rich, the Sagada coffee is "full-bodied, with a creamy texture, both sweet and spicy and with nutty notes."

Why "Sagada Rituals Make For 'Best Coffee In The World'?" Says Rich, "There are rituals for planting that you have to respect, such as planting only prior to the full moon." I myself know that the biodynamic agriculture developed by European philosopher Robert Steiner  has similar Sagada spiritual dimensions, and it is respected worldwide. In fact, my Xavier U student in organic farming, Nicky Perlas, graduating into biodynamic farming, won the alternative-Nobel, a Right Livelihood Award.

"Recognizing that respecting the coffee culture and traditions of Sagada is as important as growing the beans, Rich was inspired to start the Coffee Heritage Project, with Goad becoming the first partner farmer."

And this is the part I like best with the arrangements to grow coffee. Miss Margaux quotes Rich as saying:

We don't own property. Instead, we partner with landowners… If someone has land that has qualities that would be ideal for growing coffee, we partner with the landowner by giving (him) technical assistance and free seedlings. Then we buy the coffee beans from (him).

Miss Margaux says the CHP has partnered with over 30 farm sites. I say this is a non-cooperative cooperative, no formal association required. Here, the partners are free to sell their coffee to other buyers. Primarily, it is technology applied & economies of scale, a paradigm Secretary of Agriculture William Dar would approve.

Of course, loyalty to the CHP is a strong force. To "grow the best coffee in the world," Rich says, he sought the assistance of UP Los Baños to develop a method he calls "quality-focused way" for planting coffee. "Partners of the CHP are given the technical know-how to plant using this method."

And so, in 2017, Sagada coffee was recognized as one of the best in the world, with Goad's Bana's Coffee winning the Medaille Gourmet (Gourmet Medal) in the "International Contest of Coffees Roasted in their Countries of Origin" organized by the Avpa (Agence Pour la Valorisation des Produits Agricoles), a nongovernmental and nonprofit organization "that seeks to improve the quality of agricultural products amid the pressure of mass marketing." The prize was received in Paris, France.

The CHP initiative has expanded with partner-farms in Bukidnon, Batangas, Nueva Vizcaya, Ifugao and Mountain Province. You cannot keep a good thing private!@517

Senator Cynthia Villar Wakes Up PH Sleeping On Research! PH Culture Of Silence On Science

The Department of Agriculture, DA, was not ready when Senator Cynthia Villar said, on 11 October, according to Coco Manila, during the Senate review of the DA budget ("Senator Cynthia Villar Calls Agriculture Dept 'Crazy' For Doing 'Too Much Research',"  ph.news.yahoo.com): 

I don't understand your research. How will this benefit farmers? (Do the farmers) like research? They want you to help them. Why is everything research?

In those confrontational 25 words, Senator Villar splashed on the large universal digital screen, so to speak, what we all in science have taken for granted:

That the rest of the world readily understands why we conduct research. Well, it does not understand! And we have only ourselves to blame.

Senator Villar was questioning the P150-million allotment for corn research in the DA budget proposal. And the DA was not ready to explain plainly – a PH habit that has now proven to be dangerous to R&D health!

I remember in the early 1990s when I was a Research Fellow for PhilRice when Santiago R Obien was still Executive Director. One evening, he asked me to edit the whole budget proposal to be submitted the next day to Congress! Well, I am a very patient man, a nitpicker; I gladly went to work on the digital copy. In a little while, I realized that so many millions of pesos were being asked for next year as total PhilRice budget for only a single (1) technology output to be delivered! I knew enough, so I added to the list of technologies – the budget was approved with additional millions (thanks also to Manong Ernesto Maceda).

The point in a budget proposal is:

If you do not list down what outputs you expect from your budget, how do you expect a Senator or a Congressman to know?!

In silence, we assume too much.

We have always been assuming that when we say "R&D" or "research" people understand us what we are talking about, so we do not explain it.

The Culture of Silence on Science started with UPLB Professor Nora Quebral when she designed her brainchild, development communication, DevCom, not to actively support development, the application of research results. DevCom ignores development!

That Senator Villar encounter at the Senate was an alarm, as Secretary Dar himself referred to it as "a wake-up call for the department (to show) how to make research (benefit) the farmers" (words in parentheses I supplied, from a report by Tina Panganiban-Perez, 11 October 2019, "Villar's Comments On DA's Use Of Budget 'A Wakeup Call' – Dar," GMA News Online, gmanetwork.com). Miss Tina says:

Agriculture Secretary William Dar… maintained the importance of research in helping local farmers and the agriculture industry. Dar… said agricultural research and development (R&D) is "critical" in developing, for example, new crop varieties that would increase the production of farmers... "That indicates the key importance of research and development."

100% agree!

Yes Sir, that is exactly what we failed to make the Senate aware of and understand before and during the budget hearing!@517

Aura Of Superiority – Why Our Chocolates Win Global Awards? PH Is Great For Cocoa!

"We need to diversify Philippine agriculture" – Secretary of Agriculture William Dar/Manong Willie says. Some farmers need to plant high-value crops, such as cacao. An agriculturist myself, I believe the Philippines is one of the best countries to grow cacao in – those international chocolate awards we Filipinos keep winning provemy point: We have 5 PH chocolatiers winning  24 awards in the 2019 Academy of Chocolate Awards in the United Kingdom, Pia Lee Brago says ("Pinoy Brands Harvest Awards At 'Choco Oscars'," 18 June 2019, PhilStar, philstar.com): Auro, Dalareich, Malagos, MS3 and Theo & Philo. 

Look at the above image; the Twitter caption had said: "Charita and Rex Puentespina, mother and son tandem, behind Malagos Chocolate. Pic taken at the Puentespina cacao farm" in Davao City. I want you to take more note of the cacao trees, fruits – and the soil thick with rotting cacao leaves. It's called litter. An ordinary farmer would rake off those leaves, gather them in one place, wait for them to dry, and then gladly burn them. Bad practice! That would be burning the organic riches in those leaves! It is best to leave them where they are, where they can decay naturally and yield back to the soil what they got from it: all the 16 plant nutrients horticulturists talk about, and more!

Note also that the rows of cacao now have almost overlapping tops and have closed the in-between rows to the sun – excellent to keep the surroundings cool and the soil moist.

The Philippines must be the best country to grow cacao in. More than 100 years ago, in 1902, William S Lyon wrote the book Cacao Culture In The Philippines under the PH Bureau of Agriculture, Farmer's Bulletin #2, where he said:

This essay is prompted first, because much of the cacao grown here is of such excellent quality… notwithstanding the failure on the part of the local grower to "process" or cure the product in any way; second, because in parts of Mindanao and Negros, despite ill treatment or no treatment, the plant exhibits a luxuriance of growth and wealth of productiveness that demonstrates its entire fitness for those regions and leads us to believe in the successful extension of its propagation throughout these Islands…

"Excellent quality notwithstanding failure to process." "Despite ill treatment, luxuriance of growth and wealth of productiveness." This is an American praising the Philippine cocoa to the heavens! In fact, Mr Lyon had observed that "Cacao in cultivation exists nearly everywhere in the archipelago." He also observed that "the inexhaustible supply of humus that is generally found in deep forest ravines frequently lead to (the natives') planting to cacao where the slope is even as great as 45°." I say, there is no need to plant in perilous slopes just for the rich soil for cacao – look at the above image again to show you how such a rich soil can be built for farms – leave that leaf litter alone; it's the best thing that ever happened to your cacao!@517

PH Farmer Leaders, How Does It Feel Now That Competitiveness Is Breathing Down The Necks Of Our Farmers, Including Yours!?

Almost if not everyday on Facebook I see a farmer leader or group complaining about the low price of palay being paid to farmers, or sharing signs like "Justice For Our Farmers" or "Support Our Farmers." They are all referring to the very low price(s) of palay paid to farmers. 

PH farmer leaders, whoever you are, please stop the blame game and start supporting the new Department of Agriculture, DA, under Secretary of Agriculture William Dar/Manong Willie, which is helping your old-practice farmers!

The Rice Tariffication Law, RTL, is there, and we cannot help it. It is required by PH membership with the World Trade Organization, WTO. PH had to pass the RTL, a DA advisory tells us, "to abide by its international trade agreement obligation in order to spare it from being economically-sanctioned by its trading partners." In fact, the advisory tells us, PH had a grace period of 20 years, up to 2014, before the enactment of the RTL. In those 20 years, the advisory asks: "Did we do our homework of improving the production efficiency of palay farmers?" The advisory answers: "Unfortunately, we did not!" (interjection mine)

So now we have to do our homework of improving the production efficiency of palay farmers!

That is how to look at the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Program, RCEP, the funds for which come from the implementation of the RTL. Writing in his Manila Times column, here is Manong Willie on the subject (10 October 2019, "Rice Industry Competitiveness Is Attainable," 1st of 2 parts, manilatimes.net):

I do not understand the criticisms hurled against RTL and RCEP, because without both, smallholder rice farmers face very tough competition from rice imports, especially those from Thailand and Vietnam. The production cost of palay (unmilled rice) in the Philippines currently stands a P12.72 per kilo, which is higher compared to Thailand's P8.86 and Vietnam's P6.22.

Note: In the words of Manong Willie, PH rice faces "very tough competition from rice imports" – PH cost of production per kilo is 69% higher than that of Thailand, and 100% higher than Vietnam.

The PH leadership in agriculture has been failing the farmers since 25 years ago – too late to blame the unhero!

So, farmer leaders and other complainers, if you want to do justice to farmers, if you want to support them – help them cut down their costs of production per kilo by at least 50% to become competitive.

And how do you do that? Instruct your farmers to cooperate with the new DA!

Do you have questions about funding? Manong Willie says the RCEP has a budget allocation of P3 billion annually. Thus, the total budget for the RCEP in the next 6 years is P60 billion.

So we look specifically at PhilRice. Manong Willie says:

PhilRice released in September 2018 the Philippine Rice Industry Roadmap (PRIR) 2030, which recommends policies, plans, programs and projects to make the country's rice industry competitive.

Hint: Farmer leaders, that Roadmap is notfor PhilRice's eyes only!@517

Greta Thunberg Is Leading The Climate Revolt – And World Leaders Are Not Paying Attention!

The Climate Revolt? Looks deceive. And that's the problem, isn't it? We know nothing.

Meanwhile, Greta Thunberg has all the attention of the world now, and Louise Fitzgerald of The Irish Times is complaining, saying, "Twenty-Five Years Before Greta, There Was Severn And We Ignored Her" (19 September 2019, irishtimes.com). I have copies of both the speeches. Severn delivered hers at the Earth Summit in Rio De Janeiro in June 1992 ("Severn Suzuki Speech at U.N. Conference on Environment and Development," no date, americanrhetoric.com), while Greta delivered hers at the UN Climate Action Summit in New York on 23 September 2019 ("'How Dare You': Transcript Of Greta Thunberg's UN Climate Speech," 25 September 2019, Nikkei Asian Review, asia.nikkei.com, where the image comes from).

Severn Suzuki called for a Climate Review;
Greta Thunberg calls for a Climate Revolt!

Young girls both, out of the UN climate speeches of Greta and Severn, 498 words and 927 words, the differences are stark – and I am not referring to the length, except that the shorter points the finger while the longer points to the problem already known!

Right at the start, Severn is timid:

Hello, I'm Severn Suzuki speaking for "ECO" -- the Environmental Children's Organization. We are a group of 12 and 13 year-olds trying to make a difference: Vanessa Suttie, Morgan Geisler, Michelle Quigg, and me. We've raised all the money to come here ourselves -- to come 5,000 miles to tell you adults you must change your ways.

While Greta is audacious!

My message is that we'll be watching you. This is all wrong. I shouldn't be up here. I should be back in school on the other side of the ocean. Yet you all come to us young people for hope. How dare you!

In 57 words, Severn comes out with a plea; in contrast, in only 43 words, Greta comes out with power! With her speech, Greta Thunberg has forever changed the dialogue between the servant-leaders and the people they are supposed to serve.

Severn ends her speech with a supplication (39 words):

My dad always says, "You are what you do, not what you say." Well, what you do makes me cry at night. You grown-ups say you love us. But I challenge you, please, make your actions reflect your words.

"Please."

No please! Greta Thunberg ends her speech not so much with a prophecy but with a caveat (34 words):

We will not let you get away with this. Right here, right now is where we draw the line. The world is waking up. And change is coming, whether you like it or not.

There is no "Please!"

Severn is reminding them what to do what they already know – Greta knows better! She is reminding them to do their duties, or face the wrath of the youth.

That would be the day the youth turns the world on its axis. At 79, I know I will live to that day – the youth led by Greta Thunberg will see to that!@517

William Dar As Friend Of SCUs – First Time PH Has A Secretary Of Agriculture Like That!

The image above is from my Windows 10 personal collection of collages. It is appropriate here because the whole country is shown; windows of opportunities for R&D are indicated – and the 2 monitors show WiFi connection. If the digital world is not involved in your R&D, you're out of this world!

I just saw Secretary of Agriculture William Dar/Manong Willie's Facebook sharing of 30 PH State Colleges & Universities, SCUs, signing a Memorandum of Understanding, MOU, with the Department of Agriculture, DA, for technology generation and commercialization. Applied knowledge for the good of the people, especially the poor farm families.

DA is funding these 8 SUCs for producing commerciable technologies:

Bataan Peninsula State University

Cebu Technological University

Central Luzon State University

Ilocos Sur Polytechnic State College

Isabela State University

Tarlac Agricultural University

UP Los Baños

Western Philippine University.

And these 22 SCUs for upgrading their R&D facilities:

Bicol University Guinobatan

Capiz State University

Cavite State University

Central Luzon State University

Central Mindanao University

Isabela State University Cabagan

Isabela State University Echague

Laguna State Polytechnic University Siniloan

Marinduque State College

Mindanao State University General Santos City

Mindanao State University Naawan

Nueva Vizcaya State University

Occidental Mindoro State College

President Ramon Magsaysay State University

President Ramon Magsaysay State University Candelaria

Quirino State University

Romblon State University

Southern Philippines Agri-Business, Marine & Aquatic School of Technology

Tarlac Agricultural University

University of Antique

University of Southern Mindanao

Western Philippines University.

From the Ilocos Region to Southern Mindanao, that is all over the Philippines!

Some 3 months before Manong Willie became Secretary, he wrote "SCUs And Unifying R&D Efforts" First of 2 Parts (09 May 2019, Manila Times, manilatimes.net) saying:

One of my wishes is that in the near future, state colleges and universities (SCUs) would become one of the main pillars for agricultural research and development… complemented with stronger extension programs to transfer (mature) technologies to smallholder farmers and fisherfolk.

Here are 3 pieces of advice for R&D and extension from the Secretary (only the numbering is mine):

(1)   SCUs can take the lead in the research for commodities that still do not have a research institution, like corn, coffee, cacao and other high-value crops that have export potential in raw, semi-processed and finished forms.

(2)   The lack of coordination between industry/business and research institutions also hampers the efforts of micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) to go into value adding or processing.

(3)   Most smallholder farmers still rely on folk knowledge that can negate the use of high-yielding plant varieties. And since many of them are not reached by extension workers, they end up listening more to salesmen of chemical inputs.

Manong Willie says our national expenditures on R&D are "pathetic figures when compared to our Southeast Asian neighbors." Compare these 2014 Unesco data:

Philippines: $880 million, 0.1% of gross domestic product, GDP.
Singapore: $10 billion; 2.2% of GDP.
Malaysia: $9.7 billion, 1.3% of GDP.

Pathetic!

We have much R&D work to do and the new DA knows and is getting ready with funding!@517

Children & Butterflies: A Meme & Beautiful Lessons For Teachers, Parents & Writers

Above, I found the meme on Facebook; I can't trace its origins, so I can't credit it. As a teacher and parent and writer, I love it!

A child is like a butterfly in the wind.
Some can fly higher than others,
But each one flies the best it can.
Why compare one against the other?
Each one is different.
Each one is special.
Each one is beautiful.
(Author Unknown)

Beautiful, isn't it?

Each child is like a butterfly in the wind.
Some can fly higher than others,
But each one flies the best it can.
Why compare one against the other?
Each one is different.
Each one is special.
Each one is beautiful.
(Author Unknown, edited by Frank A Hilario)

Roses have thorns; which version has a thorn nobody saw before?

When I googled for "a child is like a butterfly in the wind" exactly like that line including the double quotes, I got 365,000 results. Not popular enough; should run like 365 million results. Anyway, I never go for the popular – I always go for the jugular. The popular makes you smile; the jugular makes you think!

Now, why do I have an edited version of my own? Let me now explain why.

The original first line, which is catchy, is this: "A child is like a butterfly in the wind." That is grammatically correct. But it becomes incorrect when considered with the rest of the text. This is singular in number: "A child is like a butterfly," which is poetic and flawless. But it is followed by "Some can fly…" which is plural in number. In grammar, you cannot mix numbers just like that!

The original "A child is like a butterfly" reflects only singularity but does not imply a collection. My edited line, with just the very first word changed, "Each child is like a butterfly" instantly conjures a number of children, such as the above image shows, and makes the whole quote complete and cute!

Ah, but I have just began my excursion into this meme.

I am a teacher, and I say: "Teacher, each child learns best what it secretly wants best."

I am not talking of Learning Styles; I am talking of each child's hidden/unhidden personal talents, whether or not related to any of Harvard Professor Howard Gardner's Multiple Intelligences, from which has been derived Learning Styles.

I am a parent, and I say: "Parent, each child is different."

Treat your children differently. While doing that, you must look for the good of your whole family.

I am a writer, and I say: "Each child is a village."

All children belong in a society. As a writer, you must look for, you must write for the village good!

Each child is like a butterfly in the wind.
Some can fly higher than others,
but each one flies the best it can.
Why compare one against the other?
Each one is different.
Each one is special.
Each one is beautiful.
(Author Unknown, edited by Frank A Hilario)

Beautiful!@517