In Celebration of the 52nd Anniversary of the National Food Authority* (September 26, 2024)
NFA Grains Industry Museum
Pride of the Filipino Farmer
Re-Opening of the NFA GRAINS INDUSTRY MUSEUM after 30 Years
NFA Regional Office Compound, Cabanatuan City, NE
Dr Abe V Rotor**
Grains Industry Museum of the National Food Authority features in a diorama President Ferdinand Marcos, First Lady Imelda Marcos, Secretary Arturo Tanco, then NGA Administrator Jesus T Tanchanco, Cabinet members and guests.
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CONTENTS
Part 1 - Reopening of the NFA Grains Museum
Part 2 - Banaue Rice Terraces* Mural at the Grains Museum (Latest Addition 2022)
Part 3 - Remembering NFA in its 52nd Anniversary (September 26, 2024)Life Begins at Retirement* by Cecilia Rojas Rotor, CPA, MBA, CESO VI
Part 4 - Men behind Philippine food self-sufficiency and rice exportation
Part 5 - Yes, we can grow wheat in the Philippines
Part 6 - Let's Cut Down Rice Wastage and Develop Rice Substitutes
Part 7 - Don't throw away rice hull or "ipa." Here are 5 practical uses.
Part 8 - "Palay-isdaan" (Rice-Fish Culture) An Agro-Ecology Model
ANNEX A - Legacy of the late NFA Administrator Jesus T Tanchanco (Administrator, National Grains Authority and National Food Authority, 1971-1986).
ANNEX B - FOOD CRISIS Series: 40 Advocacies to Curb the Global Food Crisis
Part 1 - Reopening of the NFA Grains Museum
The re-opening of the museum signifies the revival of the original objectives of the museum, which the author envisioned and pursued as its first curator in the early 1980s.
*The National Food Authority was created through Presidential Decree No. 4 dated September 26, 1972, under the name National Grains Authority, (NGA) by President Ferdinand Marcos
The feature story is quoted in part, as follows: (December 2016 Vol. 44, No. 4), written by Ms Lina G Reyes and Ms Josephine C Bacungan),
"Old farm tools and artifacts had been sitting quietly, gathering dust at the dilapidated museum of the Central Luzon Regional office in Cabanatuan City. National Food Authority Grains Industry Museum was a brainchild of then NFA Extension Director Abercio V Rotor with a vision to highlight the evolution of the rice industry through various images on production, post-harvest activities, processing, storage and marketing /distribution of rice and other grains . It was intended to serve as NFA's contribution to the preservation of cultural traditions particularly in the agricultural landscape. It operated for sometime but was closed down due to lack of funds and trained personnel to maintain it. But thanks to he history-loving team of Director Amadeo de Guzman and Assistant Regional Director Serafin Manalili, and then Asst Director Mar Alvarez, et al ... "(the whole staff of the NFA regional and NFA provincial offices.)
"Old farm tools and artifacts had been sitting quietly, gathering dust at the dilapidated museum of the Central Luzon Regional office in Cabanatuan City. National Food Authority Grains Industry Museum was a brainchild of then NFA Extension Director Abercio V Rotor with a vision to highlight the evolution of the rice industry through various images on production, post-harvest activities, processing, storage and marketing /distribution of rice and other grains . It was intended to serve as NFA's contribution to the preservation of cultural traditions particularly in the agricultural landscape. It operated for sometime but was closed down due to lack of funds and trained personnel to maintain it. But thanks to he history-loving team of Director Amadeo de Guzman and Assistant Regional Director Serafin Manalili, and then Asst Director Mar Alvarez, et al ... "(the whole staff of the NFA regional and NFA provincial offices.)
Rare Artifacts
Operated by hand this native rice mill made of wood and bamboo separates the husk from the grain, leaving the grain intact with its bran.
Brown rice or pinawa dehusker made of bamboo and hardened earth with hardwood grinder displayed at the former Farmers' Museum of the National Food Authority in Cabanatuan City.c 1981
The bran contains minerals, vitamins, oil, and digestible fiber which conventional rice mills removed during polishing. Polishing removes the bran leaving the grain white and polished. In the process, much of the grains is broken, particularly the defective and immature ones chalky and powdery. It is the bran that gives the nutritious tiki-tiki which is extracted in the final boiling stage in cooking rice. Tiki-tiki was developed by a Filipino scientist, Dr. Manuel Zamora, a cheap and practical source of infant food supplement which saved thousands of babies during the second World War. It was later popularized as United Tiki-tiki. . 
Biggest wooden harrow (suyod) with a span of two meters, more than twice the size of a typical harrow for upland farming. The harrow is of two designs and make. One with iron pegs (left) is used on wet paddy. It serves as harrow and leveler. The second is made of bamboo with natural and embedded pegs used as harrow for the upland.
Author demonstrates a rare wooden planter with a sliding wooden block at the middle. The block creates a tic-tac sound to let know the worker is busy on the job, while the deep sound warns birds and rodents to keep away from the newly planted seeds. The block vibrates the stake shaking off clinging soil and dirt before it is thrust to make the next hole. Whoever put this mechanism into multiple and unified uses must be a true genius. At the background (above) are naturally shaped hame* made of bamboo. At the foreground is the mould (cross section) showing the formed hame. The process involved is simple. The mould is placed atop an emerging shoot. The shoot grows through the mould and grows to maturity. One or two years after, the bamboo is cut with the mould, and cured and seasoned for durability all in the natural way. (Hame is a curved harness that fits over the nape of a draft animal like carabao and bullock. Hame for the horse is made of two wooden pieces, padded and clamped together around its neck.)
Native raincoats made of leaves of anahaw (Livistona rotundifolia), cowhide, and woven bamboo slats, with matching headgears likewise made of native materials. Foreground: Sleds, one made of bamboo (left) and the other of wood.
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All over the world there are similarities, based on a general pattern, save variations for ease and comfort in usage, which we call today ergonomics, Thus primitive farmers were the founders of this new science. Pride in the farmer can be read on face on discovering these simple tools displayed in the museum.
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The ingenuity at the grassroots cannot be underestimated. Farmers' technology developed with the birth of agriculture in the Fertile Crescent thousands of years ago, and spread to many parts of the world. The commonality of inventions is more on function, rather than scientific explanation, the latter serving as basis in improvement and diversification.
Rice Industry Showcase
The Farmers' Museum of the then National Grains Authority, now National Food Authority, was put up in response to the administration's thrust in food self-sufficiency. It was during the time the country gave emphasis on developing cultural pride as a nation and people, as evidenced by the expansion of the National Museum, the putting up of the Philippine Convention Center, and the National Art Center on Mt Makiling, among others, during the administration of the late President Ferdinand E Marcos. The Farmers' Museum occupied the right wing of the Regional NFA Building in Cabanatuan City for two decades, until it closed down. It was once a pride of the agency, the centerpiece of visitation by foreign dignitaries, convention participants, tourists, professors and students, and most especially farmers who found the museum not only as a showcase of the agricultural industry, but as a hallmark of their being the "backbone of the nation." - AV Rotor
There are six dioramas, four of these are shown in these old photographs. A wall mural meets the visitor on entering the museum. Indigenous farm tools and implements are lined on the foreground. The dioramas are grouped at the center of the cubicles.
Rice Industry Dioramas
One of the six dioramas, Rice farming on the Banaue rice terraces
All over the world there are similarities, based on a general pattern, save variations for ease and comfort in usage, which we call today ergonomics, Thus primitive farmers were the founders of this new science. Pride in the farmer can be read on face on discovering these simple tools displayed in the museum.
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These sets of mortar and pestle in different designs came from different regions of the country, principally for dehusking palay into rice, and making rice flour. Other uses include cracking beans such as mungo, and grinding corn into grits and bran.
Photo below was taken just after the inauguration of the Museum (1982). The author (left) shows new collection to Dr Romualdo M del Rosario (in barong), deputy director of the National Museum, who helped in setting up the museum.
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The ingenuity at the grassroots cannot be underestimated. Farmers' technology developed with the birth of agriculture in the Fertile Crescent thousands of years ago, and spread to many parts of the world. The commonality of inventions is more on function, rather than scientific explanation, the latter serving as basis in improvement and diversification.
Rice Industry Showcase
The Farmers' Museum of the then National Grains Authority, now National Food Authority, was put up in response to the administration's thrust in food self-sufficiency. It was during the time the country gave emphasis on developing cultural pride as a nation and people, as evidenced by the expansion of the National Museum, the putting up of the Philippine Convention Center, and the National Art Center on Mt Makiling, among others, during the administration of the late President Ferdinand E Marcos. The Farmers' Museum occupied the right wing of the Regional NFA Building in Cabanatuan City for two decades, until it closed down. It was once a pride of the agency, the centerpiece of visitation by foreign dignitaries, convention participants, tourists, professors and students, and most especially farmers who found the museum not only as a showcase of the agricultural industry, but as a hallmark of their being the "backbone of the nation." - AV Rotor
There are six dioramas, four of these are shown in these old photographs. A wall mural meets the visitor on entering the museum. Indigenous farm tools and implements are lined on the foreground. The dioramas are grouped at the center of the cubicles.
Rice Industry Dioramas
Rainfed (sahod ulan) farming dominates the uplands and hillsides.
Good harvest depends on generous amount and distribution of
rainfall during the monsoon. Since ancient times festivals implore
providence for bountiful harvest. This practice still exists especially
among the minorities like the Yakans.
World famous rice terraces in Banaue in the Cordillera have been declared World Heritage by UNESCO. Rice farming on the terraces is as old as the terraces believed to be as old as the Pyramids of Egypt, and much older than the Great Wall of China. Science is still studying the sustainability of these terraces.
The Encomienda System dominated agriculture during Spanish rule over the
islands for more than three centuries. The friars and Spanish officials were the encomienderos, similar to hacienderos. Although the system underwent land reform, it still persists to this day under corporate umbrella such as the case of Del Monte pineapple plantation. Hacienda Luisita in Tarlac still retains some features
of the system.
Details of two dioramas depicting the Banaue Rice Terraces
and the Hacienda under the Spanish Encomienda System
This mural was destroyed when the wall it was painted on
had to undergo major repairs.
How primitive are farmers' tools and implements? The animal-drawn sled predates the wheel cart, and has not changed since its invention thousands of years ago. It is still used in the remote countryside.
Brain coral for shelling corn raises eyebrow to the city bred. Biggest iron bar scale (timbangan), probably is another item for the Book of Guinness.
Mechanical dryer for palay, corn and beans
“Closing a museum to save money is like holding your breath to save oxygen...”
― Nanette L. Avery
Prototype two-stroke diesel engine, prime mover for milling.
Donated by the late Mr. Bonifacio Tambot, Binalonan, Pangasinan
― Monica O Montgomery
Part 2 - Banaue Rice Terraces* Mural at the Grains Museum (Latest Addition 2022)
"Of the Eight Wonders of the Ancient World, only the Banaue Rice Terraces and the Pyramids of Egypt exist today. The difference between the two however, is that the former continues to sustain a stable civilization as it did in its whole history, while the latter are but colossal empty tombs that speak of an ancient civilization." - avrotor
Artist Dr AV Rotor poses with museum curator Ms Josephine C Bacungan (3rd and 4th), and members of the Rotor family: Leo Carlo, Ms Cecille Rotor, Dr Charisse and Marlo Rotor.
* The Banaue Rice Terraces are ancient sprawling man-made structures said to date back 2000 to 6000 years, that were carved into the Ifugao in Cordillera Mountains in the Philippines by ancestors of the indigenous people.
Mural by Dr Abe V Rotor
Ifugao Rice Terraces wall mural (10ft x 11ft) in acrylic at the Grains Museum of the
National Food Authority, NFA Regional Office Building, Cabanatuan City, AVRotor 2017
Details: Top, clockwise: native huts and mandala (haystacks), precipice typical in the Cordillera region, destruction of the watershed atop the rice terraces by logging and burning; garden like scene on the terraces, a wildlife sanctuary.
The Banaue Rice Terraces - among five clusters of rice terraces in Ifugao in the Cordillera Region, made it to become the 8th Wonder of the Ancient World. Today only the Banaue Rice Terraces and the Pyramids of Egypt have survived.
To Filipinos it is a monument of pride as a race, a living proof of indigenous ingenuity, and a legacy of pre-Hispanic culture. Which leads scholars to re-define civilization and to put it in proper perspective, other than what the Western World thinks.
The terraces are a stairway to heaven, piercing through the cloud, taller than the pyramids, the Tower of Babel, the Eiffel Tower - tallest of all man- made structures - built by bare hands with the crudest tools as early as three thousand years ago.
A collective masterpiece of tribes working in cooperation and peace, a prototype nation where people were governed by common aspirations, beliefs, language, customs, isolated from the outside world like the Aztecs and Mayans.
Agro-ecology - a modern term to describe harmony of agriculture and ecology - farming and environment - was born incognito and thrived for centuries, until modern man arrived, studied the "secrets of the rice terraces" and proclaimed himself the discoverer.
What does he know about the Hudhud, the narrative chants and dance and worship at planting time, harvest time, and other rituals? Would this mean anything to increased production, return of investment, research and development?
Believe in cloud seeding the natural way, when clouds collect atop the rice terraces, and condense into rain, gathered at the forest watershed, then slowly released terrace after terrace irrigating the rice plant crop, in precise amount and timetable.
Wonder how the rice varieties of the terraces were developed - varieties jibed with the habagat and amihan, and social life. It was a grave error in introducing 90-day varieties to have two harvests in a year instead of only one, which needed high input and mechanization.
Modernizing agriculture on the rice terraces by introducing chemical fertilizers, chemical pesticides, use of tractors and other machines, changed the indigenous cycle of the rice plant, so with the socio-economic and cultural lives of the people.
Floating vegetable culture (heap of organic soil) on the terraces, a version of Mexico's floating garden, and India's Sorjan, is no longer feasible with modern agriculture. So with fish culture, the source of food and protein of the inhabitants. The whole food chain and web has been disturbed.
Where is the new generation to take over the old folks, now in their past fifties or sixties - or older? Many terraces are no longer managed the way they were for centuries. They are facing deterioration that may end up to irreversible decline. Erosion, siltation, landslide, gully formation at work need serious and immediate attention.
The "native ambiance" is giving way to posh hotels, modern homes, well paved road networks, various establishments which cater to tourists. Lately a 7-storey parking building has sparked controversy; local officials and the National Commission for Culture and the Arts were appalled.
Banaue Rice Terraces, the tallest and the steepest cluster of terraces in the whole world was granted World Heritage Site status by UNESCO in 1995, the first of its kind, but in 2001 it was placed under the List of World Heritage in Danger because of its deteriorating state.
Fortunately it was removed from the list of sites in danger in 2012, but the story does not end there. With globalization taking away the young generation away from the terraces, climate change bringing in unexpected consequences, commercialization changing the face of the area, intrusion of destructive technology, this 8th wonder of the world may yet meet the sad fate of the other wonders of the ancient world. ~
National Food Authority, NFA Regional Office Building, Cabanatuan City, AVRotor 2017
To Filipinos it is a monument of pride as a race, a living proof of indigenous ingenuity, and a legacy of pre-Hispanic culture. Which leads scholars to re-define civilization and to put it in proper perspective, other than what the Western World thinks.
The terraces are a stairway to heaven, piercing through the cloud, taller than the pyramids, the Tower of Babel, the Eiffel Tower - tallest of all man- made structures - built by bare hands with the crudest tools as early as three thousand years ago.
A collective masterpiece of tribes working in cooperation and peace, a prototype nation where people were governed by common aspirations, beliefs, language, customs, isolated from the outside world like the Aztecs and Mayans.
Agro-ecology - a modern term to describe harmony of agriculture and ecology - farming and environment - was born incognito and thrived for centuries, until modern man arrived, studied the "secrets of the rice terraces" and proclaimed himself the discoverer.
What does he know about the Hudhud, the narrative chants and dance and worship at planting time, harvest time, and other rituals? Would this mean anything to increased production, return of investment, research and development?
Believe in cloud seeding the natural way, when clouds collect atop the rice terraces, and condense into rain, gathered at the forest watershed, then slowly released terrace after terrace irrigating the rice plant crop, in precise amount and timetable.
Wonder how the rice varieties of the terraces were developed - varieties jibed with the habagat and amihan, and social life. It was a grave error in introducing 90-day varieties to have two harvests in a year instead of only one, which needed high input and mechanization.
Modernizing agriculture on the rice terraces by introducing chemical fertilizers, chemical pesticides, use of tractors and other machines, changed the indigenous cycle of the rice plant, so with the socio-economic and cultural lives of the people.
Floating vegetable culture (heap of organic soil) on the terraces, a version of Mexico's floating garden, and India's Sorjan, is no longer feasible with modern agriculture. So with fish culture, the source of food and protein of the inhabitants. The whole food chain and web has been disturbed.
Where is the new generation to take over the old folks, now in their past fifties or sixties - or older? Many terraces are no longer managed the way they were for centuries. They are facing deterioration that may end up to irreversible decline. Erosion, siltation, landslide, gully formation at work need serious and immediate attention.
The "native ambiance" is giving way to posh hotels, modern homes, well paved road networks, various establishments which cater to tourists. Lately a 7-storey parking building has sparked controversy; local officials and the National Commission for Culture and the Arts were appalled.
Banaue Rice Terraces, the tallest and the steepest cluster of terraces in the whole world was granted World Heritage Site status by UNESCO in 1995, the first of its kind, but in 2001 it was placed under the List of World Heritage in Danger because of its deteriorating state.
Fortunately it was removed from the list of sites in danger in 2012, but the story does not end there. With globalization taking away the young generation away from the terraces, climate change bringing in unexpected consequences, commercialization changing the face of the area, intrusion of destructive technology, this 8th wonder of the world may yet meet the sad fate of the other wonders of the ancient world. ~
Part 3 - Remembering NFA in its 52nd Anniversary (September 26, 2024)
Life Begins at Retirement*
Cecilia Rojas Rotor, CPA, MBA, CESO VI
Former Director of Budget, Treasury and Fund Management
Retirement is a journey, not a destination. It only means that it is time for a new adventure. Adventure in the golden years of life.
What really makes life beautiful with NFA? What make an employee spend her most precious years of life with NFA? Let me count the ways.
Author fondly poses with grand daughter, Mackie.
For NFA is the acronym of the principles of Maslow’s Concept: man’s basic survival Need is Food; man’s basic social need is Family (the NFA family); and man’s highest need is Actualization – actualization of NFA’s vision and mission.
NFA is very important indeed! In fact, I learned that no country - big and small, industrialized and developing - is without an NFA, or its equivalence or counterpart. I say, NFA is a universal organization. It is said in the Universal Prayer as well, “Give us this day our daily bread.” (Us refers to all, irrespective of race, age, status, belief, ideology; it is the word us with reference to adequacy of food that unites mankind.)
It is my alma mater for four scores and two years, subtly saying 42 years of continuous service, the longest “schooling” until I was awarded (finally) with a “diploma of retirement” – which I cannot refuse. The concept of alumna of NFA is, “Once an NaFiAin, always a NaFiAian.” And every time I happen to meet a co-alumna or co- alumnus, the world spontaneously brightens up, reversing the hands of time, and re-creating many wonderful scenarios that make memories fresh and alive.
3. Life after NFA is beautiful. It is another stage of life which I am beginning to enjoy as a grandmother. Retirement is out of the dictionary when you are babysitter, teacher, housekeeper, playmate, rolled into one.
NFA taught me many things to prepare me to be a wonderful and loving Lola , borrowing the words of Mackie my eldest granddaughter. (See above photo )
Happiness I realize is compensating for the limited time and presence I had with my family while I was with NFA. But it is NFA that made me realize that happiness is not truly your own alone.” It is one commodity that, if you divide and distribute, it will multiply.” It is boundless, it is eternal; it defies any mathematical law. It is man’s greatest glory on earth.
4. It is at NFA where I tried to study and understand issues considered to be sensitive, such as the term “subsidy.” As an accountant I saw a financial picture inclined towards social goals and objectives, of stabilizing the industry to prevent hunger and its consequences; to pursue the idea of attaining self-sufficiency, while aiming at sustainable productivity. Meanwhile huge importation is inevitable year in and year out. These are gargantuan images that are difficult to comprehend, much less to attain, if I may say.
And yet these are the very reasons why NFA should and must exist, firm and strong to lead its various stakeholders. I leave the organization with the urgent wish that it continue to pursue its noble task vigorously. Its triumph shall, in every alumnus, proudly feels.
5. There is a saying by John F Kennedy (originally by our own national hero Jose Rizal), “Ask not what America can do for you; but what you can do for America.”
Analogously I ask myself. “What have I done for NFA, and what has NFA done for me?”
Allow me to count the ways that I know of:
Rotor-Sta Maria-Mendoza-Viray family in a re-union
It is at NFA that I was able to obtain an MBA and CESO, on top of my CPA.
· It is at NFA where I grew gray hairs old folks say is a sign of wisdom and counsel.
· It is with NFA I learned to hurdle obstacles generally attendant to public service.
· It is with NFA I tried my best to set a standard of a role model for my staff and colleagues in government.
· It is at NFA where I found personal happiness, and comfort in the dark hours.
· It is with NFA I did the best I could in actively participating in decision making and strategic planning.
· It is at NFA where I saw action, and fought in the battlefield, so to speak.
· It is with NFA I helped steer the boat toward its goal and mission.
Lastly, but not the least, It is at NFA where I found a life partner and together built a happy family. And look at the world as bright as ever. ~
*Response to a tribute given by the members of the Management Committee of the National Food Authority, August 8, 2016. Reprint, NFA's 48th Anniversary September 26 2020 Feature on GRAINS Magazine.
Part 4
Men behind Philippine food self-sufficiency and rice exportation
4a - Remembering Philippine Agriculture Secretary Arturo R Tanco Jr
He brought into international limelight Philippine Agriculture, for which he was recognized by the World Food Council and became its president.
He also promoted the International Fund for Agricultural Development , and helped
Agriculture is often referred to as backbone of the economy. Indeed, food shortage may lead to hunger, consequently stirring unrests that undermine our society.
On the other hand, agriculture the cradle of civilization as history tells us, is the principal guarantee of peace and progress.
This is the foundation of Secretary Tanco's philosophy: to attain self-sufficiency and affordability of food. Subsequently, to raise the category of the country as a net grain exporter, other agricultural products - like sugar, fruits, food oil, not notwithstanding.
And he succeeded! Thus he earned for the Philippines, then a "Phoenix Bird" rising from the ashes of the global food crisis, so to speak, a singular honor which many countries used as model for their own agricultural programs. Vietnam which we helped in its crisis is now a rice exporter. And in disbelief, Vietnam is now a regular rice exporter to the Philippines to augment our annual deficit after Tanco's time by no less than ten percent of rice requirement. Thailand whose students came to learn agriculture from us is consistently the number one rice exporter to us.
Secretary Tanco (center) briefs members of the National Food and Agriculture Council. (NFAC), a 22-member council that catapulted the Philippines to self-sufficiency in food, through Masagana 99 (rice) Maisan 77 (corn), Gulayan ng Bayan (People based Green Revolution in fruits and vegetables), among other programs like Bakahan Barangay (livestock), and Palay-isdahan (rice-fish production).
Secretary Tanco and other officials report to President Ferdinand Marcos, the progress of the crash program on food production which broke previous records within a year, a feat heretofore unparalleled.
Today in Philippine history, April 19, 1985
Untimely Demise of Agriculture Minister Arturo R. Tanco Jr.
Arturo R. Tanco Jr., a former president of the World Food Council of the United Nations and his country's Agriculture Minister for 13 years, died today. He was 51 years old.
Mr. Tanco joined the Philippine Government in 1970, after postgraduate studies in management at Cornell and Harvard Universities.
In 1971 he became Agriculture Minister, with special responsibility for increasing the production of rice, corn and vegetables. Under his management, the Philippines overcame a chronic rice shortage and became a rice exporter. He used print and electronic advertising to encourage farmers to use intensive cultivation. He was Agriculture Minister until last year, when he resigned after his election defeat.
Mr. Tanco was elected president of the World Food Council in 1977 and served until 1981. He also promoted the International Fund for Agricultural Development, believing it to be an answer to cyclical food shortages.
In 1971 he became Agriculture Minister, with special responsibility for increasing the production of rice, corn and vegetables. Under his management, the Philippines overcame a chronic rice shortage and became a rice exporter. He used print and electronic advertising to encourage farmers to use intensive cultivation. He was Agriculture Minister until last year, when he resigned after his election defeat.
Mr. Tanco was elected president of the World Food Council in 1977 and served until 1981. He also promoted the International Fund for Agricultural Development, believing it to be an answer to cyclical food shortages.
He helped found the Southeast Asia Research Center for Agriculture and was a director of the International Rice Research Institute, based at Los Banos, Laguna.
Mr. Tanco had a son and two daughters with wife Patricia. (The New York Times) ~
Among those behind the success of attaining food self-sufficiency, particularly through Masagana 99, are Domingo F Panganiban, Emil Q Javier, and those who have gone ahead: Arturo Tanco Jr, (DA secretary), JD Drillon (DA Undersecretary) Roberto Fronda (NFAC Exec Director and Dep Adm NFA), Jesus Tanchanco (NFA adm), Dioscoro Umali (FAO chief Asia), among others the author had the opportunity to work with.
DOMINGO F. PANGANIBAN took over the helm after Secretary Tanco,
Part 5 - Yes, we can grow wheat in the Philippines
Wheat is the third most important staple food of Filipinos after rice and corn. Ironically we import it to the last grain to make the popular pandesal and pasta, and a wide variety of bakery products. Its milling byproducts constitute an important feed ingredient for livestock, piggery and poultry.
Author with baked products
from local wheat harvest
Yes, the Filipino can. We love to eat pandesal, a unique and distinctly Filipino kind of bun. Pandesal comes from wheat flour. We import the mother material, the wheat grain, mainly from the United States. Eight (or more) companies which grouped themselves into the Philippine Flour Millers Association or PAFMI import the grain, mill it into flour, and sell it to the baker. The bran called pollard, by-product of milling is formulated into feeds, together with feed wheat which they also import directly. Virtually the same members formed another group, Philippine Association of Feed Millers or PAFMIL. They sell feeds to the livestock and poultry raisers. They also sell meat and related products which they directly import. These are made into hot dog, hamburger, et al.
Here is a scenario for the pandesal eater. The wheat comes from the prairies of North American covering the Dakotas, Kansas, Minnesota’s, Missouri and a dozen more States. A state may be bigger than the Philippines in land area. The American farmer who cultivates hundreds, if not thousands, of acres using airplane and railway systems, plants his wheat either before winter (the germinated seed remains dormant or overwinters), or in the spring. Thus, when we import, we specify winter or spring wheat.
Generally the spring hard wheat is preferred for making pandesal, although it is more costly. We import the premium wheat, one of the best in the world. Just to make pandesal! Sixty percent of total volume is made into pandesal. The soft type of wheat (varieties with less of the leavening substance called gluten), is made into cakes, pastries and crackers. There is also the durum wheat or pasta, which are made into macaroni or spaghetti, mainly by the PAFMI members, too. They make those ready-in-two minutes and instant noodles, pancit canton, mami, soups, etc.
Here is a scenario for the pandesal eater. The wheat comes from the prairies of North American covering the Dakotas, Kansas, Minnesota’s, Missouri and a dozen more States. A state may be bigger than the Philippines in land area. The American farmer who cultivates hundreds, if not thousands, of acres using airplane and railway systems, plants his wheat either before winter (the germinated seed remains dormant or overwinters), or in the spring. Thus, when we import, we specify winter or spring wheat.
Generally the spring hard wheat is preferred for making pandesal, although it is more costly. We import the premium wheat, one of the best in the world. Just to make pandesal! Sixty percent of total volume is made into pandesal. The soft type of wheat (varieties with less of the leavening substance called gluten), is made into cakes, pastries and crackers. There is also the durum wheat or pasta, which are made into macaroni or spaghetti, mainly by the PAFMI members, too. They make those ready-in-two minutes and instant noodles, pancit canton, mami, soups, etc.
Now, where is my pandesal? Either it is shrinking or taking new shapes, or both. Go to the popular bakeshops, they have various versions of pandesal. Of course with different product presentation - and prices. That is why pandesal is difficult to standardize, and more difficult to socialize. Not even during the martial law days. How could it be a poor man’s breakfast? Where is the control button? Well at least, during Arturo Tanco’s time as DA secretary, wheat importation was in the hands of the National Grains Authority, under PD 4. and the members of the PAFMI and PAFMIL got their allocations of grain to mill and sell. From the revenues of NGA, warehouses and other post harvest facilities for rice and corn farmers were put up. In short, NGA without national budget, depended on corporate source, mainly from wheat importation, subsidized the small rice and corn farmer. Thus was the golden era of the grain industry in the country.
So the wheat grain arrives here. After importation tax, the grain goes to the giant bins and mill complexes of the PAFMIL members concentrated in Metro Manila, others in Cebu and Mindanao. Total value has greatly increased to billions of pesos yearly. One can imagine the staggering figure to include feed wheat and pollard which the PAFMIL also imports. Plus, of course, the imported corn, fish meal and soyabean meal which are important feed ingredients. Next time you eat hamburger, fried chicken or pork chop, think of food on a pie chart. What part is Filipino?
Threshing wheat by hand is similar to rice. Threshing is much easier, and wheat stalk is kinder to the hand. The hay has higher nutrient value than rice, and is easier for animals to digest. Author's son Marlo, then 5 years old, takes pride in displaying a freshly harvested wheat from a farmer's field.
Well, at least the pork in a can of pork and beans is ours. But it is not entirely. The corn comes from Thailand. It is cheaper to import corn than to cultivate it here. Analogously, it is cheaper to import rice than grow it here. No wonder we (the government) import more than one million metric tons of rice every year – from Thailand, Vietnam, China, Pakistan and India! Why should we not grow enough rice and plant wheat, too, and have pandesal?
Pandesal is shrinking, it is getting more expensive. And this is the reason we should plant our own wheat. As shown in earlier figures from our local wheat varieties which we planted on rice paddies before the EDSA revolution, local wheat can reduce our dependence on imported wheat. We planted Trigo 2 (for cakes and pastries) varieties which were developed by the Institute of Plant Breeding and UPLB. Farmer cooperators in the Ilocos region, Central Luzon, Southern Tagalog, and also in the Visayas and Mindanao planted for straight five years wheat on their ricefield as second crop under a packaged program initiated by DA, NFA, PCARRD and UPLB and other state universities.
Yes, we can grow wheat successfully in the Philippines. A proof other than the recent success is that during the Spanish period, farmers in Cagayan down to Batangas were growing a variety known as a Cagayan wheat. Wheat is very important to the church. We were then self-sufficient and even shipped part of our produce through the galleon. Read Frenchmen, de Gironierre’s autobiography, Half a Century in the Philippines.
Interviews on Wheat
As a farmer, I get good average yield, as high as 3.1 MT per hectare, higher than world’s average, comparatively profitable with other cash crops after rice. I use the same tools and equipment as with irrigation, fertilization, and post harvest processes. With the government support I am assured of both market and price of my produce. I also have wheat bran and hay for my livestock, better than those of rice. And I can raise poultry and livestock.
As a consumer, locally grown wheat can be made into arroz caldo, ridgepole, wheat cakes - other than the conventional pandesal, pan de bara, pan de lemon pan de coco, cakes and pastries. Now I can eat more than the average per capita level which is 10.3 to 12 kg, because it becomes more affordable, especially so that wheat comes in various preparations, including rice-wheat mix. In this case I will have higher protein intake as high as 12 percent for whole wheat, 8 to 9 percent for regular flour. Rice has barely half protein level. I get 75 percent starch, so with rice. But I get gluten, the substance that makes wheat, and only wheat, naturally leavening. I get also high crude fiber, oil, minerals and vitamins. Now you see why a big American individual has but sandwich for lunch. Of course, what is in between the bread equally counts.
Well, at least the pork in a can of pork and beans is ours. But it is not entirely. The corn comes from Thailand. It is cheaper to import corn than to cultivate it here. Analogously, it is cheaper to import rice than grow it here. No wonder we (the government) import more than one million metric tons of rice every year – from Thailand, Vietnam, China, Pakistan and India! Why should we not grow enough rice and plant wheat, too, and have pandesal?
Pandesal is shrinking, it is getting more expensive. And this is the reason we should plant our own wheat. As shown in earlier figures from our local wheat varieties which we planted on rice paddies before the EDSA revolution, local wheat can reduce our dependence on imported wheat. We planted Trigo 2 (for cakes and pastries) varieties which were developed by the Institute of Plant Breeding and UPLB. Farmer cooperators in the Ilocos region, Central Luzon, Southern Tagalog, and also in the Visayas and Mindanao planted for straight five years wheat on their ricefield as second crop under a packaged program initiated by DA, NFA, PCARRD and UPLB and other state universities.
Yes, we can grow wheat successfully in the Philippines. A proof other than the recent success is that during the Spanish period, farmers in Cagayan down to Batangas were growing a variety known as a Cagayan wheat. Wheat is very important to the church. We were then self-sufficient and even shipped part of our produce through the galleon. Read Frenchmen, de Gironierre’s autobiography, Half a Century in the Philippines.
Interviews on Wheat
As a farmer, I get good average yield, as high as 3.1 MT per hectare, higher than world’s average, comparatively profitable with other cash crops after rice. I use the same tools and equipment as with irrigation, fertilization, and post harvest processes. With the government support I am assured of both market and price of my produce. I also have wheat bran and hay for my livestock, better than those of rice. And I can raise poultry and livestock.
As a consumer, locally grown wheat can be made into arroz caldo, ridgepole, wheat cakes - other than the conventional pandesal, pan de bara, pan de lemon pan de coco, cakes and pastries. Now I can eat more than the average per capita level which is 10.3 to 12 kg, because it becomes more affordable, especially so that wheat comes in various preparations, including rice-wheat mix. In this case I will have higher protein intake as high as 12 percent for whole wheat, 8 to 9 percent for regular flour. Rice has barely half protein level. I get 75 percent starch, so with rice. But I get gluten, the substance that makes wheat, and only wheat, naturally leavening. I get also high crude fiber, oil, minerals and vitamins. Now you see why a big American individual has but sandwich for lunch. Of course, what is in between the bread equally counts.
Triticale - a cross between wheat (Triticum) and rye (Secale). Triticale was successfully grown on the Benguet in the seventies.
As a rule, triticale combines the high yield potential and good grain quality of wheat with the disease and environmental tolerance (including soil conditions) of rye. It is grown mostly for forage or fodder although some triticale-based foods can be purchased at health food stores or are to be found in some breakfast cereals, bread and other food products such as cookies, pasta, and pizza dough. The protein content is higher than that of wheat although the gluten in fraction is less. The grain has also been stated to have higher levels of lysine than wheat. As a feed grain, triticale is already well established and of high economic importance.
NOTE: Author served as national coordinator in wheat production in the Philippines, a joint program of NFA (NGA then), DA, and PCARRD under President Ferdinand Marcos' administration. He represented the Philippines in a conference, presented a paper on growing wheat in the Philippines, at the Centro Internacional de Mejoramiento del Mais y Trigo (CIMMYT), Mexico.
Let's Cut Down Rice Wastage and Develop Rice Substitutes
Yes, children, there is Santa Gracia
Dr Abe V Rotor
We have chosen this article for this session in response to the current problem of rice supply this lean months or off-season period which is exacerbated by the El Niño dry spell, and precipitated by the COVID pandemic."Ang bigas ay mahalaga, huwag mag-aksaya!" (NFA
national campaign)
While our government is committed in assuring sufficient supply of this staple commodity at affordable price, it is the responsibility of every citizen to cut down losses in wastage, and over consumption, of rice and other food commodities.
While our national goal is self-sufficiency in rice by increasing yield and hectarage, we must at the same time reduce rice loss in the field, in processing, and on the dining table on one hand, and reduce rice consumption through various food substitutes, on the other.
The second aspect is how we can reduce our consumption of rice in the light of recurrent production shortage, and increasing price without necessarily depriving ourselves of energy and nutrients.
As an overview, rice is lost in three stages.
2. Gains in rice production may be negated by huge postharvest loss mainly due to lack of facilities and improper processing. Postharvest loss ranges from 10 to 37 percent of total harvest. If we can only reduce Postharvest loss to the low level of 10 percent, we would be self-sufficient in rice. Philippine rice importation in 2014 was 1.2 million metric tons worth at least one-half billion dollars.
3. Nutritional loss incurred during food preparation, cooking and poor eating habits is likewise high (no quantified figure but significant).
We can reduce postharvest loss. Postharvest loss can be reduced during the following activities:
1. Threshing - Use improved thresher, thresh on time and do not plant easy-shattering varieties.
2. Drying - Sundry properly, use mechanical dryers if sun drying is not feasible.
3. Milling - Use mill types/model with high milling recovery. Mill grains, which are properly dried. Do not mix different varieties.
4. Handling and transport - Use good sacks, transport properly and on time.
Rice Weevil (Sitophilus oryzae)
5. Storage - Keep pest away and moisture low. Store properly and dispose on time.
Let's Develop Substitutes to Reduce Pressure on Rice
Low production together with devaluation of our peso and spiraling world market price of the commodity have caused the price of rice to shoot up to as much as 100 percent in the last five years, and it is going to increase further.
Among the legumes, mungo (Phaseolus radiatus) is best known. Generally, consumers of these products are unaware that they are doing a favor to the rice industry, particular during the lean months.
Here are some facts about rice to consider:
The Philippines is a major rice consumer, with a population of roughly 110 million and annual per capita rice consumption of 133 kg.
2. Daily calorie supply per capita is 2,357. Rice supplies 38% of it.
3. With a total of rice eating Filipinos of 87 million, our total rice requirement is 13 million MT. Today's production is less than 12 million MT.
4. Our total rice area is shrinking, even as land use policy regulates non-agricultural land use, such as settlements and industry.
5. Farmlands are becoming marginal due to poor management.
6. Agrarian program, since it was promulgated 50 years ago, remains a social and political issue, instead of being a catalyst of growth and development.
7. Farming remains in the hands of farmers who are on the average 58 years old, with low formal education, and with very little personal savings.
8. There are less and less students taking up agriculture. Not even 10 percent of agriculture graduates go into farming.
9. There is need to define clearly our agricultural policy on rice self-sufficiency. In the seventies and eighties, the Philippines became one of the world's exporters of rice, as a result of a successful food production program. We were also self-sufficient in most basic food items.
10. Investment in agriculture is very low, priority is in industry. It should be the other way around, as many countries realized lately. ~
The second aspect is how we can reduce our consumption of rice in the light of recurrent production shortage, and increasing price without necessarily depriving ourselves of energy and nutrients.
As an overview, rice is lost in three stages.
1. Field loss in production mainly to pest and force majeure runs up to 50 percent of potential harvest. In many cases, it is total crop failure.
Mechanized rice threshing in modern agriculture replaces manual method and close-knit community tradition.
3. Nutritional loss incurred during food preparation, cooking and poor eating habits is likewise high (no quantified figure but significant).
We can reduce postharvest loss. Postharvest loss can be reduced during the following activities:
1. Threshing - Use improved thresher, thresh on time and do not plant easy-shattering varieties.
2. Drying - Sundry properly, use mechanical dryers if sun drying is not feasible.
3. Milling - Use mill types/model with high milling recovery. Mill grains, which are properly dried. Do not mix different varieties.
4. Handling and transport - Use good sacks, transport properly and on time.
Rice Weevil (Sitophilus oryzae)5. Storage - Keep pest away and moisture low. Store properly and dispose on time.
Let's Develop Substitutes to Reduce Pressure on Rice
Low production together with devaluation of our peso and spiraling world market price of the commodity have caused the price of rice to shoot up to as much as 100 percent in the last five years, and it is going to increase further. Nature's gleaners. With farm animals and fowls around there's little waste on the farm. In fact, what is considered as waste becomes profit.
This view leads us to believe that we can institute or strengthen agricultural reforms and programs. One area to focus our attention is the development of rice substitutes such as other cereals, rootcrops, and legumes.
Aside from direct substitution, the increase in the uptake of fruits and vegetables, meat and fish would lead to a reduction in rice consumption, not to mention its valuable contribution to nutrition, thus the improvement of health.
Corn as a whole tops all rice substitutes, other than the fact that 20 percent (20 million) of our population depends on corn as staple.
In urban areas the most popular rice substitutes are noodle products, followed by pandesal and other wheat products. In rural areas, sweet potato (Ipomea batatas) and cassava (Manihot esculenta) top the list of rootcrops.
Aside from direct substitution, the increase in the uptake of fruits and vegetables, meat and fish would lead to a reduction in rice consumption, not to mention its valuable contribution to nutrition, thus the improvement of health.
Corn as a whole tops all rice substitutes, other than the fact that 20 percent (20 million) of our population depends on corn as staple.
In urban areas the most popular rice substitutes are noodle products, followed by pandesal and other wheat products. In rural areas, sweet potato (Ipomea batatas) and cassava (Manihot esculenta) top the list of rootcrops.
Among the legumes, mungo (Phaseolus radiatus) is best known. Generally, consumers of these products are unaware that they are doing a favor to the rice industry, particular during the lean months.
The development of these substitute products on the part of the farmers is beneficial. It will definitely boost diversified farming, and consequently income on the farm. A program based on this alternative is definitely necessary both in the short and long term, particularly if the focus is the development of indigenous products.
1. Per capita consumption of rice is from 95 to 130, Metro Manila and Ilocos Region, respectively. National average is close to 100 kg per person. Update, from DA-BPI, as follows:
2. Daily calorie supply per capita is 2,357. Rice supplies 38% of it.
3. With a total of rice eating Filipinos of 87 million, our total rice requirement is 13 million MT. Today's production is less than 12 million MT.
4. Our total rice area is shrinking, even as land use policy regulates non-agricultural land use, such as settlements and industry.
5. Farmlands are becoming marginal due to poor management.
6. Agrarian program, since it was promulgated 50 years ago, remains a social and political issue, instead of being a catalyst of growth and development.
8. There are less and less students taking up agriculture. Not even 10 percent of agriculture graduates go into farming.
9. There is need to define clearly our agricultural policy on rice self-sufficiency. In the seventies and eighties, the Philippines became one of the world's exporters of rice, as a result of a successful food production program. We were also self-sufficient in most basic food items.
10. Investment in agriculture is very low, priority is in industry. It should be the other way around, as many countries realized lately. ~
Don't waste food, don't!
Yes, children, there is Santa Gracia
Don't throw away food left on the table. Please don't.
Recycle leftover in a different presentation.
• Food waste could otherwise go to millions who have not enough to eat.
• Food waste breeds pest and disease, sickens the air.
• Anything that goes to waste draws down the economy.
• Waste widens inequity in resources.
Here are some things to do with food leftovers.
1. Sinagag - fried rice mix with bits of bacon, ham, fried egg, fish, and the like.
• Waste widens inequity in resources.
Here are some things to do with food leftovers.
1. Sinagag - fried rice mix with bits of bacon, ham, fried egg, fish, and the like.
2. Torta - tidbits like those mentioned in scramble egg. Include veggies like carrot and onion.
3. Pickle – excess veggies and fruits plus vinegar, sugar and salt, and spices. Good for carrot, bell pepper, cucumber, green papaya, yam (sinkamas), others.
4. Paksiw – if not consumed is fried, makes a new menu.
5. Daing – fish in season is dried, cooked with gata’ (coconut milk).
6. Suka – fruit vinegar from overripe pineapple, banana, others, but not tomato and kamias.
7. Pudding – bread not consumed on time is also made into pizza bread- bread crumbs, garlic bread.
8. Sopas – Grind bones, shrimp head for soup and broth. Bulalo for whole bone.
9. Pastillas – milk p
owder not consumed on time, also grated hardened cheese.
owder not consumed on time, also grated hardened cheese.10. Veggie and fruit peelings – for animal feeds, composting. Include solids from brewing (coffee) and juicing fruits. Ultimately, inevitable food waste is collected for feeds in poultry and piggery.
Food waste also emanates from carelessness in handling, food preparation and serving. Much is also lost due to lack of proper processing, transport and storage facilities. Estimated loss in postharvest alone runs from 10 to 37 percent of actual harvest of crops.
In "Give us this day our daily bread..." in the Lord's Prayer, us here is regarded as thanksgiving and remembering the millions people around the world who may not have the food they need.
I believe in the wisdom of the old folk who reminds us of the value of food. They have experienced hunger during war, drought, flood, crop failure, pestilence - even in normal times. They have not lost sight of the presence of Santa Gracia.
Yes, children there is Santa Gracia. ~
*In observance of World Food Day October 16, every year. Actually, Food Day must be observed every day.
Part 6 - Don't throw away rice hull or "ipa."
Here are 5 practical uses.
Dr Abe V Rotor
Top: Cross-section of rice grain; closeup of grain. Middle: Rice hull stove, building block of rice hull and clay. Bottom: rice hull as litter; newly built vegetable plots. Acknowledgement: Google search, Wikipedia, Internet images
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The bean weevil is a cosmopolitan insect whose grub lives inside the bean, eating the whole content and leaving only the seed cover at the end of its life cycle. When it is about to emerge the female lays eggs for the next generation. Whole stocks of beans may be rendered unfit not only for human consumption, but for animal feeds as well. It is because the insect leaves a characteristic odor that comes from the insect’s droppings and due to fungal growth that accompanies infestation
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Rice hull is the outer cover of the rice grain which comprises 25 percent of the total weight. The cover is made up of a pair of hull-shape structures - lemma and palea - which are tough and impregnated with silica and cellulose. Considered waste in rice producing areas, now there are uses which this article would like to share - and recommend.
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1. Rice hull ash protects mung-beans from bean weevil.
Burnt rice hull (ipa) contains silica crystals that are microscopic glass shards capable of penetrating into the conjunctiva of the bean weevil, Callosobruchus maculatus. Once lodged, the crystal causes more damage as the insect moves and struggles, resulting in
infection and desiccation, and ultimately death.
This is the finding of Ethel Ni̱a Catahan in her masteral thesis in biology at the University of Santo Tomas. Catahan tested two types of rice hull ash, One is partly carbonized (black ash) and the other oven-burned (white ash). Both were applied independently in very small amount as either mixed with the beans or as protectant placed at the mouth of the container. In both preparations and methods, mungbeans Рand other beans and cereals, for that matter Рcan be stored for as long as six months without being destroyed by this Coleopterous insect.
infection and desiccation, and ultimately death.
This is the finding of Ethel Ni̱a Catahan in her masteral thesis in biology at the University of Santo Tomas. Catahan tested two types of rice hull ash, One is partly carbonized (black ash) and the other oven-burned (white ash). Both were applied independently in very small amount as either mixed with the beans or as protectant placed at the mouth of the container. In both preparations and methods, mungbeans Рand other beans and cereals, for that matter Рcan be stored for as long as six months without being destroyed by this Coleopterous insect.
2. Preheated rice hull is used to incubate balot eggs.
Simulating the way the mother duck incubates its eggs old folks bury duck eggs in rice hull (ipa) heated under the sun until they become penoy (incipient embryo) or balot (full grown embryo). For commercial production the eggs are held in bundles made of simamay or fishnet), placed in large holding boxes filled with rice hull. They are harvested in batches to meet market schedules.
3. Rice hull compost is good soil conditioner for the garden.
Mix rice hull with other farm residues that are ordinarily used in making compost at varying proportions but not exceeding fifty percent of the total volume. These include animal manure and chicken droppings, dried leaves, peanut "hay" or tops, scums (lumot, Azolla and Nostoc from ponds and rice fields). Add equal amount of top soil to the final product. This is excellent medium for potted plants and for germinating seeds, bulbs, and cuttings. When buying commercial potted plants, examine the medium used; the rice hull is still partly visible.
4. Rice hull as fuel
There are stoves designed for rice hull as fuel. One has a continuous feeding system for commercial use, otherwise ipa is hand-fed for typical kitchen stoves. Rice hull has a high thermal value because it contains silica that increases temperature level. This means faster cooking. To make full use of this advantage, rice hull must first undergo thorough drying usually under the sun. It is then stored in sack for ready use. With the spiraling cost of LPG and electricity - and the dwindling supply of firewood - rice hull as fuel is the best alternative in rice-based areas.
5. Rice hull as litter of livestock and poultry
To solve muddy animal sheds and corrals, spread rice hull for time to time. This is also good for range chicken, and holding pens of animals in the market. Rice hull binds the soil and other materials such as grass and rice hay. When the litter becomes thick and old, replace it with a fresh one. The old litter is a good fertilizer for the orchard and garden. ~
* Lesson on former Paaralang Bayan sa Himpapawid (People's School-on-Air) with Ms Melly C Tenorio 738 DZRB AM Band, 8 to 9 evening class Monday to Friday
Part 8 - "Palay-isdaan" (Rice-Fish Culture)
An Agro-Ecology Model
Dr Abe V Rotor
Palay-isdaan is a revival of a virtually lost art and indigenous farming system and industry. Since the late fifties, the introduction of pesticides and chemical fertilizers and their rampant use decimated wildlife in ricefields. As a rule therefore, the ricefields must be free of these poisons, for palay-isdaan to succeed.
Top, clockwise: lowland ricefield during monsoon season; harvesting fish ahead of rice harvest as monsoon ends; close-up of Azolla, aquatic fern as natural source of fertilizer, fish food, and mulch in controlling weeds in the ricefield; duck raising may be integrated with rice-fish culture.
This technology is indigenous. What we call palay-isdaan is an innovation of a traditional way of raising fish and other freshwater organisms while the rice plant is growing in the field during the rainy season.
Many wildlife species are found in ricefields as their natural habitat. These are commonly freshwater fish like hito, dalag, gurami, martiniko, and lately, since the fifties, tilapia. Then we have ulang (freshwater lobsters), shrimps, kuhol, suso’, and tulya. Strong rains release these organisms from their hibernation, usually in carabao wallows, ponds, and river basins – or in mud where they were ensconced during summer. The ricefields become one huge lake at the peak of the rainy season, and as the water subsides, these organisms are trapped in the paddies. Farmers pick them up for food, which is indeed a good source of protein for his family. Many find it a sport hunting them, while others find ways of protecting them until they reach maturity. The latter is the basis of palay-isdaan technology, which has these features.
1. The dike (pilapil) must be strong and high enough to prevent the fish to escape. To do this, trenches are dug around the rice field like a moat, two meter wide and one-half meter deep. The soil material is used to rebuild the dike.
2. Another model is to build a wide trench, 3 to 4 meters wide and one-half meter deep, running through the center of the rice paddy. This is usually done in low-lying areas where the water stays much longer. The trench serves as a natural trap for the fish as the surrounding water subsides.
3. A third model is recommended for irrigated areas where the rice field is managed like a fishpond. Here the farmer selects the fish he wants to grow, provides them with supplemental feeds, and gives attention more than what the other two models require. A commercial model would mean converting 30 percent of the total area into trenches.
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Palay-isdaan is a revival of a virtually lost art and indigenous industry. Since the late fifties, the introduction of pesticides and chemical fertilizers and their rampant use decimated wildlife in ricefields. As a rule therefore, unless the ricefields are free of these poisons, palay-isdaan will never succeed.
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4. Because it takes time for the fish to grow to maturity it is advisable to plant traditional varieties which mature in 110 to 130 days. But this is feasible only where the rainy season is long and water supply is readily available. Traditional varieties generally do not need chemical spraying and fertilization.
Well-managed rice-fish farms in Central Luzon and other parts of the country can yield as much as 200 kg of tilapia per hectare. At P100 per kilo, the gross value is P20,000. While this gives around15 percent additional income, the farmer should consider a reduction in rice yield by at least 5 percent. Still palay-isdaan gives more income than rice monoculture.
Irrigated areas can have two fish crops a year, but this is not advisable because of the high cost of irrigation. Besides, it is virtually impossible to grow palagad rice (summer crop) without heavy dependence on chemical pesticides and fertilizers.~
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Palay-isdaan is a practical and cheap source of food and nutrition for the farming family. It provides a natural sport and recreation most especially to children. Palay-isdaan is among the attractions in agro-tourism.
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Acknowledgement: Internet photos
ANNEX A
Legacy of the late NFA Administrator Jesus T Tanchanco
(Administrator, National Grains Authority and National Food Authority, 1971-1986).
Dr and Mrs Abe V Rotor exchange pleasantries with former NFA administrator Jesus T Tanchanco (right) during the last homecoming of former NGA-NFA employees in 2012. It was the last meeting of our group with this great man.
1. Live in the present. Live today.
2. Forget the mistakes of yesterday. Yesterday has gone forever.
3. Stop criticizing yourself and stop criticizing others.
4. Yearn for self-improvement.
5. Hold on to your self-respect by appraising yourself honestly.
6. Learn to listen to others. It helps remove bias from your opinion.
7. If you have a goal, reach for it.
8. If you make a mistake, try again.
9. Don't be timid in conversation.
10. Exercise your imagination creatively to achieve success.
11. Do one thing at a time. Shoot for one goal at a time.
12. Believe in the Providence not for luck but blessings.
*From my old files I found this article ideal for framing, so that it can serve as a daily personal reminder. Spontaneously I thought of my boss for fifteen long years, the admirable and respectable Jesus T Tanchanco, former administrator of the National Food Authority under the regime of President Ferdinand E Marcos. During his time the Philippines became not only self-sufficient in rice and other major agricultural commodities, but a net exporter as well. The Philippines attained the status as exporter of rice in Tanchanco's time like Thailand and Vietnam today. I realize that the success of a leader - a government official - depends largely on personality which is the embodiment of the qualities of that person.
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*Abercio V Rotor, Ph.D. is the award-winning author of Living with Nature Handbook (Gintong Aklat Award 203), Living with Nature in Our Times (National Book Award 2006), and radio instructor of People’s School on Air (Paaralang Bayan sa Himpapawid, Gawad Oscar Florentino Award for Development Communication on radio). He is also author of other books in essays and poetry, and textbooks in Humanities and Literature. Dr Rotor is a former professor at UST, a former director of NFA and consultant of the Philippine Senate. He is married to Cecilia A Rojas, CPA, MBA, CESO3, (also an NFA retiree) with whom they have three children: Matthew Marlo, Anna Christina, and Leo Carlo. The family hails from San Vicente, Ilocos Sur. Dr. Rotor is founder and presently head of the Living with Nature Center (San Vicente, Ilocos Sur).
Annex B - FOOD CRISIS Series
40 Advocacies to Curb the Global Food Crisis
Even to the present, there is crisis in local sugar supply affecting many industries, services and products, from beverage to bakery products. Rice supply is critically low and the price, in spite of government intervention, is hardly within the means of ordinary citizens. So with onions, selected vegetables, meat, poultry, fish, and other food products, which continue to spiral with the current inflation rate, exacerbated by the Russian war in Ukraine, and conflicts in many parts of the globe, COVID-19 pandemic, and global warming. 
At one time, the world had just 10 weeks’ worth of wheat left. In less than three weeks, wheat could disappear from store shelves, suggested a food insecurity expert to the United Nations. 05/29/2022 / By Ethan Huff (Sources of news Insider.com; NaturalNews.com
Easy Access to these articles: Search FOOD CRISIS, or print each title in this Blog - view screen, read, and print. Practice these advocacies within your capacity and share them with your family and community. - avrotor
Dr Abe V Rotor
avrotor.blogspot.com
1 - Food Crisis Series 1 to 4: People's Green Revolution in 5 Parts,
including a Self-administered Test on Green Revolution
Acknowledgement with thanks, Internet photos
6 - Food Crisis Series 7: Farmers' Museum (NFA Grains Museum)
Earlier this month, the humanitarian organization Oxfam released alarming statistics that measured the state of the food crisis after one year of the pandemic. Every minute, eleven people on the planet die of hunger. The number of people experiencing famine-like conditions globally has increased by six times in the past year.
Areas where corruption, inequality, and suffering have finally boiled over into war experience the worst aspect of the food crisis. In those areas where distribution and supply lines are severed, the food crisis has perpetuated beyond any semblance of control. In mid-June 2021, the number of people falling into the most acute phase of the famine stood at 521,814 across Ethiopia, Madagascar, South Sudan, and Yemen – up from 84,500 last year, an increase of more than 500 percent, according to the global report on Food Crises 20
5 - Love the Bahay Kubo (Nipa Hut) - Bastion of Food Self-Sufficiency
6 - Food Crisis Series 7: Farmers' Museum (NFA Grains Museum)
Re-opened After 30 Years. In honor of the Filipino Farmer
7 - Save Rice: Let's Cut Down Rice Wastage and Develop Rice Substitutes.
Don't waste food, don't.
8 - Genetic Engineering (GMO) is not the Solution to Food Shortage
9 - Can the Philippines Regain its Fame in the 70s as Rice Exporter?
10 - Men Behind Food Self- Sufficiency and Rice Exportation
11 - Promote Agribusiness and Biotechnology on the Village Level
12 - Make Your Own Organic Fertilizer for your Home Garden
13 - Let's Stop Generic Pollution - Littering of Engineered Genes
14 - Home Gardening - Buffer Against Spiraling Prices of Food and
Other Commodities
15 - The Garden - Microcosm of the Living World and Humanity
16 - Let's Save Our Deteriorating Planet Earth - 20 Vital Issues
17 - Garden Pond: Source of Food and Recreation
18 - Food Poisoning - Look Out!
19 - Herbals for Medicine, Culinary and Pest Control
20 - Simplify Food Preparation for Good Health, Enjoyment and Economy
21 - Thirty (30) Native Vegetables Resistant to Global Warming and Pest
22 - More and More People are Going for Natural Food
23 - Kitchen Garden - Practical Hydroponics
24 - Sustainable Productivity - Key to Profitable Agriculture and
Balanced Environment
25 - Food Crisis Series 25 Yes, we can grow wheat in the Philippines
Let's revive the local wheat production program.
26 - Palay-isdaan (Rice-Fish Culture) An Agro-Ecology Model
27- Let's develop the less popular Philippine fruits.
28 - Non-cash technology for small farms
29 - The Noble Practice of Gleaning
30 - Be Sure the Food You Eat is Safe
31- Golden Homesite Plan of Ed Nanquil
32 - Are you living an austere life? A Self-evaluation, 25 items
33 - Farming is a Way of Living, a Mode of Life
34 - Farming the Sea (Sea Vegetables)
35 - A Happy Couple and the Kurong-kurong
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36 - The world goes for Organic Farming- a turnaround in Green Revolution
37 - Stop pests from robbing your food: Practical Pests Control and Integrated
Pests Management (IPM)
38 - Backyard Garden - Food Bank and Living Laboratory
39 - Five Trends in Agriculture Today
40 - Agro-Ecology: Balancing Agriculture and Ecology for Sustainable
Productivity
Dr Rotor is a retired Director of the National Food Authority (1976-1989); consultant on Food and Agriculture, Senate of the Philippines (1992-95); Professor, Graduate School University of Santo Tomas; De La Salle University-D, SPU-QC and UPH-R, and presently, a gentleman farmer in San Vicente, Ilocos Sur.
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2021 Global Report on Food Crises
The 2021 Global Report on Food Crises (GRFC 2021) highlights the remarkably high severity and numbers of people in Crisis or worse (IPC/CH Phase 3 or above) or equivalent in 55 countries/territories, driven by persistent conflict, pre-existing and COVID-19-related economic shocks, and weather extremes. The number identified in the 2021 edition is the highest in the report’s five-year existence. The report is produced by the Global Network against Food Crises (which includes WFP), an international alliance working to address the root causes of extreme hunger.
Earlier this month, the humanitarian organization Oxfam released alarming statistics that measured the state of the food crisis after one year of the pandemic. Every minute, eleven people on the planet die of hunger. The number of people experiencing famine-like conditions globally has increased by six times in the past year.
Areas where corruption, inequality, and suffering have finally boiled over into war experience the worst aspect of the food crisis. In those areas where distribution and supply lines are severed, the food crisis has perpetuated beyond any semblance of control. In mid-June 2021, the number of people falling into the most acute phase of the famine stood at 521,814 across Ethiopia, Madagascar, South Sudan, and Yemen – up from 84,500 last year, an increase of more than 500 percent, according to the global report on Food Crises 20
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A July report from Oxfam states 155 million people worldwide now live at crisis levels of food insecurity or worse – some 20 million more than last year. About two-thirds of them face hunger because their country is in military conflict. In the 55 food-crisis countries under review, almost 16 million children under age five were acutely malnourished, while 75.2 million children under age five experienced stunted growth. ~
"Covid-19 pandemic risks worst global food crisis in decades." - New Scientist
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