“Brain Power To The People!” PH’s Next Secretary Of Agriculture Should Be A Scientist & Must Adopt William Dar’s Animating Mantra “Science With A Human Face” For Me To Intellectually Support Him!

With this essay, this UP Los Baños alumnus and everyday blogger even at 81+ practicing his original brainchild “Communication for Village Development in the 21^st Century” (CoViD21) – for dreams must never die! I challenge all PH bodies that have to do with agricultural research & development (R&D) to demonstrate any single technology (process or product) with at least 3 CoViD21 simultaneous objectives: fight unhealthy foods, fight farmer poverty, and fight climate change!

“Science with a human face” was the mantra of now-Department of Agriculture (DA) head William Dar when he was Director General (DG) of the India-based International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT), 2000-2014. I am issuing this public challenge today, responding to Facebook criticisms of Gus Molina & Jose Reaño (GM&JR), which to me are anti-PH progress:
(images: “CPU Mind” from Larastock, larastock.com; “William Dar inspiring assembled people” from PNA, pna.gov.ph)

Instead of opening our Big Mouth, let us open our Big Brain!

Today, my brainstorm is:

“Fertilizer-Free Farming.”

Now then, GM&JR, since you have appeared very negative about the current PH Agriculture total situation, let me challenge you with my brand of “Science with a human face.” I dare you to be the CO-Supervising Scientists of a new R&D project:

“Miracle Rice 300 Regenerative Agriculture Of The Los Baños Science Community.”

I will be the Project Manager. You will arrange for a 2-5 ha of farm for a techno demo, going for 300 cavans/ha. You have properties in Bay, Laguna and as Supervising Scientists, you will be the first to witness, just in case, the failure of my farmer brain. Ah, but I am sure science will show its smiling human face with this brain-splash of mine!

Bay, Laguna is the perfect site for aggie brain-shows because it lies literally next door to the Los Baños Science Community, which is composed of 7 institutions: ASEAN Centre for Biodiversity, International Potato Center, IRRI, PCAARRD, PhilRice Los Baños Station, SEARCA, and UP Los Baños.

My more memorable name for my GM&JR proposal is “Lazy Juan Farming” – because it:

(1)   Eliminates plowing, harrowing & leveling

(2)   Eliminates transplanting

(3)   Multiplies yield of any crop

(4)   Multiplies net income of the farmer

(5)   Eliminates chemical fertilizers & pesticides – zero greenhouse gases!

This science-based brainstorm of mine is actually giving “Brain Power To the People!” where they live and farm.

This fertilizer-free farming method had actually been quietly practiced for about 40 years by my brother-in-law Enso Casasos in my hometown Asingan, Pangasinan. (I have been writing about it in my blog Towards A New Eden, Blogspot.com.)

Total funds may be P570,000, including professional fees and digital instruments. We will need digital cameras with artificial intelligence capabilities, laptops, Internet connections – so that in subsequent encounters, communication/advice can be digital yet visual. We can ask Mr Dar and/or the DA for funding.

So, GM&JR, will you accept my Lazy Juan Challenge? To Good be the Glory!@517