Famine: Aging Farmers in Distress - Food Security of the Filipinos in the Years to Come

A billboard ad in EDSA stated that, THE YOUNGEST FARMER IN THE PHILIPPINES IS OVER 50 years old, that billboard I believe is not just an advertisement, it's a warning!

Considering our country as highly-agricultural and tagged as very rich in natural resources according to our Philippine history books, the problem lies in succession. It amplifies that the younger generation of Filipinos are unlikely to consider a career in farming. They are unaware of a farmer's importance and the imminent danger of food shortage in the years to come as the Philippine population triples.

The succession between the retirement of our aging farmers and the training of future farmers does not happen overnight. It takes time in handing-down knowledge of choosing the right seed, the right season to plant, and many other "trade secrets" to learn. Deep interest and patience are involved in mastering this skill.   

Today, a Call Center Agent can take home a monthly salary of Php 25,000 to Php 30,000 compared to what a farmer can get after a yield of harvest, the take-home pay of a CCA is far higher.

The competition between working in an open field under the heat of the sun versus working on a well-air-condition room will surely empower a resistance if we try to force the younger generation to do the former. It is like imagining plowing a PC on a farm and see if it can mold a heap to bed a grain of rice. 

In public schools children were taught to plant some vegetables like; swamp cabbage, okra, eggplant, tomato and etc. but the learning is "skin deep" (pahapyaw), the importance of agriculture must make an impact on learning. What the future generation knows about food security is not enough to lure them into farming. Come to think of it what the students learned at school is not farming it's gardening.    

Our government is buying tons of food from other countries, countries that are once trained by Filipino agriculturists and food technologists on effective farming who are now more progressive than us in the field of food production. The next generation must acknowledge the truth, that technology is not palatable, it cannot sustain God-given life and a bite is different from a byte. 

The importance of agriculture is not inculcated in our future generation. Our land is rich and fertile for farming and rice is our main source of energy not the Apple. If no younger generation would fill in this void and if no one will tend our rice paddies in the next decades to come, we'll be at the mercy of those nations who chooses to plant and till their soil than to bank on call centers and high-rise condominiums. 

Last July 13, 2017, I was invited to attend one of the many series of seminars in-line with the celebration of the ASEAN@50: Partnering for Change, Engaging the World for STI. The seminar was held at the World Trade Center during the 2017 National Science and Technology Week, where heads of the Philippine bureaucrats, professionals and academe representatives were invited. In that event, food security, artificial intelligence and industry 4.0 and space technologies had their respective spotlights to convince us their importance. Questions from various representatives including those from the students were raised, but to my dismay less inquiry was heard that is strong enough to strengthen the importance of agriculture and fisheries over automation. From their opinions, as I have expected, our "intel-inside" generation is unaware of the most important aspect of our future . . . . Food Security!

Incoherence is in between knowing the need for one thing that can sustain life and ignore it, then do otherwise to sustain the sustainable.

drjohniecuison.blogspot.com   Writings 2017 #05

Original Artwork by: Dr. Johnie Cuison

cuisonjohnie@gmail.com

For the Love of Wisdom (FB Page)

Pista ng Pelikulang Pilipino 2017: A Commentary

This week-long event (August 16-22, 2017) is a feast of Filipino films in Philippine cinemas when no foreign movie will be shown in conjunction to the celebration of Buwan ng Wika. The Film Development Council of the Philippines will showcase different genres of Filipino films that are made by professional filmmakers all over the country.
The official list of entries are:

100 Na Tula. Para Kay Estella
Ang Manananggal sa Unit 23B
AWOL
Bar Boys
Birdshot
Hamog
Paglipay
Patay Na Si Hesus
Pauwi Na
Salvage
Triptiko and,
Star Na Si Van Damme Stallone

Based on their respective synopsis and official trailers, I would suggest to the Filipino viewers who are longing to see the picture of a family life in a different perspective to watch PATAY NA SI HESUS and PAUWI NA. Aside from the fact that the two movies are starred by 2 high-caliber Filipino actresses the storyline moves in a way that we do not see and feel everyday but so real.

In our world where a lot of things are being lied about, I want to watch movies that does not interplay horror and made-to-believe films, I am also not fond of watching films of indiscriminate killings where the killers are being glorified and feared at. I want the silverscreen to show something uplifting and grounded.

CONGRATULATIONS to the officers of the Film Development Council of the Philippines for officially selecting movies that are varied in themes.  I have noticed that few festivals and indi-films ago, a lot of films have focused on separation and broken families, prostitution of boys and girls, macho dancers, gay parades and never ending fantasies of dwarfs and monsters. Sometimes too much of anything pushes you to barf.

Our National Artist Direk Lino Brocka penned in his "Call To The Filipino Artist" he lamented: "The supreme duty of the artist is to investigate the truth, no matter what forces attempt to hide it, and then report it to the people, to confront them with it, like a whiplash that will cause wounds but will free the mind from various fantasies and escapist fare that the Establishment  pollutes our minds with. To the best of our abilities , and even if we oftentimes fail, we want to do works that will hurt , films that will disturb, films that will not make you rest. For the times are really bad, and given times like these. It is a crime to rest." (lainez.wordpress.com)

From Direk Lino Brocka to the present generation of filmmakers, the lamentation against the Establishment I believe still exists. I may not be a director or in anyway related to filmmaking but I am positive that films in the 70's and 80's are worth watching. We have to admit that a big chunk of Filipino movie-goers at this present time keep on watching mediocre films than watch films that enlightens and educates.
In here, incoherence lies at the bottom of our education as Filipinos. Film-education and the sense of Nationalism was not instilled and inculcated to us as learners.

Kudos to filmmakers who continues to produce quality films, I am hoping that more and more good films will get the chance to be shown in the days to come.

cuisonjohnie@gmail.com. Writings 2017 #04

The Accidental Deaths of Meows

(Original Poem & Artwork of Dr. Johnie Cuison, August 18, 2017)

Day or night, most caused by speeding wheels

The irresponsible driver cuts through

The roads be it narrow and dim

A trike, an SUV, a truck or whatever

A cat is not safe for being strayed and homeless

They cannot outrun these monsters on the road

There are days and nights I saw dead cats

On a highway, on a sidewalk, on a footbridge, on a busy street

Sprawled, flat-dead most of them are kitties

Days will pass that no one will pick them up

As if their deaths reached the standard of normalcy

The state of being usual, who cares? Let it be

Now laid flat, dried and unrecognizable

The meow became a part of the asphalt road

Now the pedestrians will no longer squirm, and utter . . . .. . YUCK!!

Our culture depicts who we are as a human race

If we can't take care of the lesser, then why we ask for the better

Incoherence lurks in the shadows of those who don't care

cuisonjohnie@gmail.com  Writings 2017 #03

GURO

(Originally written in Filipino, please do not use English Translator)

Ilang tao na ang iyong nakilala dahil sa iyong malawak na pagbabasa? 

Mga taong nagbigay inspirasyon, sumubok sa iyong kakayahan at nag-iwan ng tanong sa iyong kaisipan. 

Mula sa aking akademikong pag-aaral, nakilala ko ang maraming manunulat na nagbigay ng kanilang linang at ekspertong pananaw sa larangan ng edukasyon at pilosopiya. Nagisnan ko ang kahalagahan ng mas makatuturang pag-iisip. Ngunit gaano ko man bigyan ng atensyon ang kanilang sanga-sangang interpretasyon at dayalogo, humahantong ang lahat sa mas lalong pag-iisip. Sa gitna ng maraming aklat na pampukaw ng kamalayan, iisa lamang ang nakilala kong tapat sa kanyang mga naging pahayag at sumubok sa esensya ng nagbabagong panahon.

Isa din siyang guro.

Nag-iisa sa pagtuturo ng katotohanan sa panahon ng mga tiwaling propeta na naglalayo sa sangkatauhan upang makilala ang tunay na Diyos. Siya ay puno ng makatwirang paghusga, hindi naging salat sa katalinuhan at hindi kailanman nagbigay-kontradiksyon sa bawat niyang naging katuruan. Hindi niya ikinubli sa kanyang pagsasalaysay ang tunay na anyo ng buhay. Ipinakilala ang ibat-ibang tauhan sa Banal na Aklat ng tapat at may presisyon.

Si Hesus lamang ang nagturo ng lohikal na doktrina ng pagkakaligtas at nagbuwis ng buhay para sa sanlibutan. Walang papantay pag sama-samahin man ang lahat ng matatalinong tao sa mundo maging ang sinasamba ng mga Katolikong si Birheng Maria at iba pang rebulto at sa taong nasa Vatican na tinaguriang Santo Papa. 

Mawalang-galang na po, dahil ang sabi ko nga po ay tao. Tao at hindi Diyos!

Sino sa aking mga hinangaang tao ang magbubuwis ng buhay upang ako ay maligtas? 

Maaari mo bang sabihing ang iyong hinahangaang manunulat ay isang Guro ng Katotohanan o isang Gurong Mapagpatawad?

Hindi ako nagmamalinis, ako man ay nagkakamali din, naiinis at sumisimangot. Nagagalit at minsa'y hirap magpatawad. Bilang isang tao ito ang aking kahinaan. Kahinaang hindi ko nasumpungan sa pagkatao ni HesuKristo.  

Si Hesus lamang ang indikasyon ng isang buhay na walang bahid.

Isang katangi-tanging katangian na siya lamang ang may angkin at dapat na mithiin ninuman. Isang Pangalang namutawi bilang isang Banal na Salita sa Labi ng Isang Mapagpalang Diyos Ama.

(cuisonjohnie@gmail.com  Writings 2017 #02)

Anong Aklat?

ANONG AKLAT?

(Isinulat ni Dr. Johnie Cuison, ika-12 ng Agosto, 2017)

(Originally written in Filipino, please do not use English Translator)

Anong aklat ang tahasang makapagsasabi

Na ako ay banal, "Ako ang una at huli"

Nagkwento ng himala nang kahapon, ngayon at bukas

Isinulat, inakda libong taon na ang nakalipas

Maraming aklat ang sa atin ay dumaan

Ako man ay nagbasa din at nag-ipon ng kaalaman

Sukdulang inalam ang mga anyo ng buhay

Ngunit tila di-angkop ang totoo sa tunay

Sa lahat ng aking aklat na inunawa

Iba ang handog nang Banal na Salita

Isa itong tubig sa taong uhaw at dalita

Salaming magpapakilala sa dungis ng ating mukha

Sino sa mga paham ang makapagpapatunay

Na ang Bibliya'y hindi banal at tunay

Sino sa mga diyos-diyosan ang nakalikha ng langit at lupa

Hindi ba't wala?, wala naman wala!

Marami na ang nagtangkang ito'y ipawalang-bisa

Siniyasat at binusisi na ng syensya't ateyista

Namatay nang lahat mga henyo at henya

Ang Bibliya'y nanatili sa muog nyang tibay at pag-asa

(cuisonjohnie@gmail.com   Writings 2017 #01 

Blog for my 43rd Birthday

As I celebrate my 43rd birthday (August 21), I would like to share some of my personal thoughts I have scribbled from the past years up to the present. Thoughts were penned because philosophy made me aware that there are things and events around us that are incoherent to what is really happening in reality. Although 'FOR THE LOVE OF WISDOM' blog is a compilation of many thoughts and issues in the Philippines, a reader may find that some are themed in other places.  

May you find this blog noteworthy as you read some or all of it. Remember that it was meant to inspire and to question on life's many perspectives and not to belabor on anyone or anything that would fire-up disagreements. Be aware that this blog is in Tag-Lish form.

Ang buhay ay puno ng mga bagay na hindi mo mawari, kung kaya't madalas ang tao ay nagtatanong, nananaliksik at nagsusulat. Ang mga pangyayaring iba sa iyong nagisnan, mga paniniwalang taliwas sa iyong kaalaman, at mga kaisipang hahamon sa iyong napag-aralan ay magiging mga palaisipang babagabag sa iyo at magtatanong ng tanong na 'Bakit?' Isang tanong na sa malayo man at madaling panahon ay nanaisin mong sagutin.  

Ang blog na ito ay hango mula samut-sari kong opinyon at pananaw at base na rin sa aking 22-taong pagtuturo sa larangan ng eduksayon. Ang aking personal na agam-agam ay patungkol sa maaring maging takbo ng Pilipinas sa larangan ng kultura, ekonomiya at moralidad ng mga susunod na henerasyon pang darating.  

Ang lahat ng tula, opinyon, agam-agam at obserbasyon ay batay sa aking mga karanasan bilang isang tagapagmasid sa mga pagbabagong umuusbong sa Pilipinas sa makabagong panahon. Ang mga sanaysay ay orihinal kong isinulat para lamang sa panipiang ito. Ang sinumang magnanais na gamitin ito sa ibang paraan ay dapat lamang na ipaabot sa aking kaalaman.

To whoever intends to use any of my personal writings in any form, the user must inform or acknowledge the blogger first before doing so. (cuisonjohnie@gmail.com)