Learning From People Power 1986, Leaning To Science Power 2021!

I did not go during the first days of the 1986 show of force called EDSA People Power Revolution. A million bodies gathered at points along Epifanio De Los Santos Avenue (EDSA) after Jaime Cardinal Sin via Radio Veritas called for people to show up in support of the rebel leaders, Vice Chief of Staff Fidel Ramos and Defense Minister Juan Ponce Enrile, who were already holed up at Camp Aguinaldo after declaring their withdrawal of support of President Ferdinand “FM” Marcos, their co-Ilocano.

On Tuesday, 25 February 1986. I showed up at EDSA, and that was when FM and his family decided to fly to Hawaii, in defeat. That is why my private joke is that when FM heard this Ilocano coming, he decided to leave Malacañang!

Differently, I believe the “EDSA Revolution” or “People Power Revolution” was in fact the “People Leaders’ Revolution” – we saw the strength of numbers, not appreciated the power of the leaders to draw such numbers.

Today, I believe we should be harnessing Science Power 2021. At the forefront should be leaders of millions of Filipino farmers who work Philippine soils. Example: The lower image is titled by its source thus: “Empowering Filipino Farmers Using the SARAI Training Toolkit for Rice and Corn[1]” (dated 2017, UPLB.edu.ph). Project SARAI, or Smarter Approaches to Reinvigorate Agriculture as an Industry in the Philippines, is a project funded by the Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic, and Natural Resources Research and Development (PCAARRD) of the Department of Science and Technology (DoST) with UP Los Baños’ School of Environmental Science and Management (UPLB SESAM) as the implementing body.

2021 versus 1986, we Filipinos should all be wiser.

Today, in farmers’ fields, armed with Science, the undeclared but more massive Science Power 2021 is being led by Secretary of Agriculture William Dar. He has his New Thinking for Agriculture that is accompanied by “8 Paradigms” as follows:

(1) Modernization;
(2) Industrialization;
(3) Promotion Of Exports;
(4) Consolidation Of Small- And Medium-Sized Farms;
(5) Infrastructure Development;
(6) Higher Budget & Investment;
(7) Legislative Support; and
(8) Roadmap Development.

And under the OneDA Approach, here are the 12 key strategies being invoked at the moment:
1. Farm Clustering/Bayanihan;
2. Province-Led Agriculture And Fisheries Extension System (PAFES);
3. Agri-Industrial Business Corridors (ABCs);
4. Infrastructure Investments;
5. Post-Harvest, Processing Logistics & Marketing Support;
6. Digital Agriculture;
7. Climate Change Adaptation & Mitigation Measures;
8. Mobilization & Empowerment Of Partners To Attain Scale;
9. Global Trade, Export Development & Promotion;
10. Food Safety & Regulations;
11. Ease Of Doing Business & Transport Procurement; and
12. Strategic Communication Support.

We have more than enough agricultural revolution to wage to the end of the decade!

I go back to UPLB SESAM, which developed the following technologies and systems for the farmers initially in Mindoro:

(1)   Automatic Weather Station,

(2)   Unmanned Aerial Vehicle/Drone,

(3)   SARAI Enhanced Agricultural Monitoring System, and

(4)   SARAI Knowledge Portal.

We should all be smarter. As knowledge revolutionaries, with a Science Power 2021 Portal, farmer progress should multiply social benefits!@517


[1]https://sesam.uplb.edu.ph/news/empowering-filipino-farmers-using-the-sarai-training-toolkit-for-rice-and-corn/

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