“The Times Call For A More Expansive Notion Of Agriculture” – PH Ex-Secretary Of Agriculture William Dar, Commencement Speaker, Benguet State University

Days towards and at the end of his term as Secretary of Agriculture, I saw the full figure of William Dar on Facebook every now and then – with a happy face!

The above image is from his Facebook page, 12 July 2022, with this caption: “Liam Dar Sicada and myself enjoying the breeze and fresh air at the farm in Lingsat, Sta Maria, Ilocos Sur!” Liam is a granddaughter, and Mr Dar is a native of Santa Maria. Ilocano. As an Ilocano myself, I dare say the ilocanos are a hardy, happy race!

Mr Dar was Secretary of Agriculture from 05 Aug 2019 to 30 June 2022. The happy face is showing 12 days after an intense 29 months of accepting the problematic past, directing the chaotic present with 27 agencies of the Department of Agriculture (DA), and pointing to the promising future of Philippine agriculture. President Ferdinand “BBM” Marcos Jr has taken over the chaos as interim Secretary!

On the morning of Friday, 08 July 2022, Mr Dar was guest speaker in the 97th Commencement Exercises of his alma mater Benguet State University (BSU), which is based at La Trinidad, Benguet. At BSU, graduating with a BS Ag Edu, he had risen to Vice President for Research & Development. As he spoke, he had had behind him, among other leadership achievements, the unequalled distinction of being Director General of the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT), based in India, leading ICRISAT from dead last (kulelat) to #1 among 15 international agricultural centers, including IRRI, of the CGIAR.

Speaking virtually, among other things, he said:

Agriculture saved my life. Then it gave me a new one full of intellectual promise and high-level critique.

His parents were poor they could not send him to high school. One of his uncles did – and wrote history. And so did William Dollente Dar, the one who saved ICRISAT from mediocrity!

Pertinently, to the BSU graduates, in the presence of Marita Rana Canapi, Chair of the BSU Board of Regents, and Felipe Salaing Comila, University President, among other things he said:

The times call for a more expansive notion of agriculture, one that is not saddled by the romanticized trope of overworked farmers and fishers.

Before he was appointed Secretary of Agriculture in Aug 2019, already he had his “more expansive notion of agriculture” – he brought to his office what he called “The New Thinking For Agriculture” that was imbued with “8 Paradigms” as sources of strengths for bringing PH Agriculture from Worst Class to World Class.

Mr Dar failed in rescuing PH Agriculture from Unhappy to Happy – why did they expect him to solve within 3 years the multitude of problems with a much-limited budget!?

“I see myself starting over,” Mr Dar told the BSU graduates. And I Frank A Hilario see our dear PH Agriculture having to start over. And I myself persist in proselytizing for Regenerative Agriculture – the soil itself has to regenerate its richness!@517