THiNK DiFFERENT*

  Why this proposal? Because Singapore’s Asian Scientist Magazine celebrates only one-third of scientific works – Research yes. Instruction nyet. Extension nyet. Those “8 Filipino Scientists Named As Among Asian Scientist Magazine's Most Outstanding Researchers In Asia [1] ” ( Charissa Luci-Atienza , 29 April 2021, Manila Bulletin ), deserve the honor given by that Singapore-based publication. The Big Question is: Why does that publication limit Science to Research?! As an instructor in agriculture who graduated with a BSA degree major in Ag Edu from the University of the Philippines College of Agriculture (UPCA, now UP Los Baños), I know that as practiced in westernized countries like my own, the Philippines: Science for the people is composed of Instruction, Research, and Extension (IRE). Perhaps today: Research: 0.1 million research studies in Asia. Instruction: 1 million students of science in Asia. Extension: 100 million farmers in Asia. So why does the Asian

Thursday morning, 29 April 2021, at about 0830 hours, I read Ron Amos Jr’s “The Need For A Cultural Revolution” as his “Transit Dialog” Facebook post, all 722 words excluding byline, and I have been moved to respond via this essay – because what Mr Amos is sharing is 100% problem and 0% solution! Mr Amos says: What we need is to reimagine and reinvent the country and ourselves: a cultural revolution that will create not only our identity but also our unified spirit. How we do it is by transitioning from the medieval age of rule by influence, wealth, creed, and power towards a society that willingly balances the individual and the community, freedom and restraint, and privileges and duties. How do we do ALL that? Mr Amos is not saying. The best that he says towards a solution is this, “A Call To Action:” So as not to point fingers, we all start within ourselves – our backyards, bloodlines, and even barkadas. Our leaders need a change of mind from preserving their status quo to

Let me deal with the YES first. Yes, CEO of Rappler Maria Ressa is going to receive a world-class award in a few days, the “UNESCO/Guillermo Cano World Press Freedom Prize for 2021.” The source of the news is ANN (Author Not Named, “Rappler’s Maria Ressa Gets Prestigious UNESCO Press Freedom Award [1] ,” Rappler.com ). UNESCO made the announcement on Tuesday, 27 April. She will receive the award on Sunday, 02 May – the World Press Freedom Day will be celebrated the day after, Monday, 03 May. She won the World Press Freedom Prize for her previous & present “unerring fight for freedom of expression,” ANN says. She is “set to receive a prestigious press freedom prize from UNESCO for her fight for free speech in the Philippines, serving as a model for journalists under siege around the world.” The UNESCO prize, worth $25,000, “recognizes outstanding contributions to the defense or promotion of press freedom especially in the face of danger.” Let me deal with the NO next. No, M

When PH Secretary of Agriculture William Dar was Director General of the India-based International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT), January 2000-December 2014, ICRISAT’s slogan was, “Science with a human face.” (But this is getting ahead of our story.) Above, dated 26 April 2021, Mr Dar presents his thoughts on “ Sulong Pilipinas: Partners For Progress” (Push Forward Philippines ) virtually in “A Pre-SONA Economic Development and Infrastructure Clusters Forum.” Mr Dar says: Despite no respite from the rage of the so-called “Perfect Storm,” the Department of Agriculture (DA) remains undaunted by the challenges confronting the farm and fishery sector(s), staying focused, believing that the current crisis also presents opportunities for innovation, transformation, and regeneration. That is, amid the “Perfect Storm,” he says, in reference to climate change; what he is presenting via the DA is a system-wide Climate Change in PH Agriculture . Mr D

Above, on Facebook, Rappler is quoting, “While this shift seems to favor PR, in reality it has resulted in declining trust in news, and that’s bad for everyone.” The caption of the image is the title of the article: “Stopping Misinformation Means Fixing The Relationship Between Journalism And PR [1] , ” which is a reprint from the Australian-led digital media The Conversation ’s article by Canadian Jaigris Hodson dated 22 April 2021. The lead says, “While this shift seems to favor PR, in reality it has resulted in declining trust in news, and that’s bad for everyone.” Mr Hodson is an Associate Professor of Interdisciplinary Studies at the Royal Roads University, Victoria, BC. So? Australian, Canadian and Filipino thoughts in journalism: Same, same. New words, old ways. Clearly, Rappler and The Conversation are worried about their journalism being taken over by public relations (PR), but they are not worried about their lack of public relevance (PR 2 ) – my brainchild. As a crea

Above, top image, the Antique ricefield looks very promising in yield. Here is the story as shared on Facebook by PhilRice (my translation in English): TINGNAN! Unang palayan sa Sta. Ana, Tibiao, Antique na natamnan ng 60kg binhi kada ektarya sa pamamagitan ng sabog-tanim. Look! First ricefield in Santa Ana, Tibiao, Antique that was planted with 60 kg seeds per hectare by way of broadcasting. Sa kauna-unahang pagkakataon, natunghayan ng mga magsasaka sa nasabing lugar na kayang-kaya ang 60kg kada ektarya gamit ang seed spreader machine (granular applicator) at certified seeds mula sa RCEF. For the first time ever, farmers in that area witnessed that 60 kg/ha is quite enough using a seed spreader machine (granular applicator) and certified seeds from RCEF. Makikita sa larawan na magaganda ang naging tubo at mabubulas ang mga itinanim na palay. What can be seen in the picture is beautiful growth of and robust rice plants. Ayon sa ulat, namangha ang mga magsasaka rito na kay