(EID-039) “A FIVE IN ONE SOLUTION”

Believe it or not, there is a five in one solution that we solve the problems of hunger, poverty, unemployment, crime, and food security all at once. And believe it or not, the solution is not even new, because it has always been with us since the beginning of human history.

Agriculture is the solution that will solve all the five problems earlier mentioned. Agriculture will produce food for the hungry. The production and processing activities will create employment that will reduce the poverty. Higher employment and lesser scarcity will reduce crime and on top of all these, it will give us food security which is of the highest national interest.

Although agriculture by itself is not new, there are new organic farming methods that would now enable farmers to make more money from their time and resource investments. The long running problem ever since is that the high costs of farm inputs practically make it impossible for the farmers to make money in their small business.

Thanks to the efforts of Filipino Engineer Walther Alvarez, a technology has been invented that now enables our farmers to produce their own feeds and fertilizers at very low costs. This technology is now being promoted by Sama-Kabuhayan, the lead organization of the United National Integrated Development Alliance (UNIDA) for the agriculture sector.

As an added bonus, the feeds produced using the technology enables farm animals to reach market size faster, and also enables farm crops to yield more, aside from coming out as pure organic products.

For a long time now, we as a people have been bewailing the fact that our Asian neighbors are producing more farm animals and farm crops than we do, even if they have practically learned their modern agriculture methods from us.

Thanks to this new technology, we now have a chance to catch up with our neighbors, to win the race of regional competitiveness, at the same time possibly winning our other wars against hunger, poverty, unemployment and crime, on top of our goal to ensure our food security.

This technology is a treasure that has come to us like manna from heaven. We should not waste it, and we should make use of it like a blessing that come to our national life. Imagine the millions of our people who could have a better quality of life because of this blessing.

(EID-038) “PRODUCING FOOD AND ENERGY”

Fidel Castro was the first world leader to warn that the demand for bio-fuels will have dangerous effects on the availability of land intended for agricultural production. Looking at the situation in the United States right now, it appears that Castro was correct in his warning, because the prices of beef, corn and bread have already gone up.

The increase in prices is a result of a chain reaction. Beef prices went up because the cost of corn went up, corn being a part of cattle diet. Corn prices went up because its demand went up, because it is now used to produce bio-fuels. Bread prices went up, because the demand for wheat went up, after wheat fields were converted to corn.

Right now, Jathropa appears to be the most popular crop of choice for conversion into bio-fuel, but there is a possibility that corn could quickly become the other choice, based on the trend now in the USA. If and when this happens, the warning of Castro could become relevant in the local setting.

Proponents of Jathropa argue that producing this crop would not threaten the availability of land intended for agricultural production, citing the reason that this crop would only use what are now considered as idle lands. That might be a fair assumption, but in the absence of clear cut policy controls, free for all situations could happen, in much the same way that rice lands were eaten up by housing development with no controls in place.

Looking at the practical side, corn appears to be the crop with the most market potential right now, because it is not just in demand for bio-fuels, it is also needed for human food and animal feeds. This being the case, the government should come up with policy guidelines in order to take advantage of this triple opportunity.

I think that for as long as policy guidelines and controls are properly in place, it would be wise to prioritize the production of corn in this country, intended for both food and energy. By comparison, rice is hardly an exportable product for us now, given the fact that we are still importing it.

On the other hand, corn offers us the potential of having a crop that would not only meet our internal demand for food and energy, but we might also possibly export it. Add to that the possibility that we could also be exporting meat and poultry, on the assumption that we could be producing our own animal feeds from locally grown corn.

(EID-037) “THE ECONOMICS OF RICE PRODUCTION”

It is still uncertain whether there is really a rice crisis or not, but what is certain is that rice is not the only staple food that our people could eat. Whether or not there is an officially admitted rice crisis, I am sure that there would be no food crisis, if only we could produce the other staples, to add to our present rice production.

The opposition on one hand says that the government is hiding the truth about the crisis, asserting that it is real. The administration on the other hand says that there is no crisis, citing as a defense its claim that it has two months of inventory in stock. I say that this is a rather shallow understanding of food security, because in order to be fully secure, we should have at least one year in inventory.

As a state policy, Israel bans the planting of rice, saying that it is not an efficient crop, because they could import the grains cheaper instead of planting it. The policy may be practical for Israel because rice is not a staple food there. Here in the Philippines, the issue appears to be moot and academic, because we are importing the grains even if we have the potential of growing it efficiently.

Korina Sanchez of DZMM says that the government made the mistake of promoting hybrid rice, because this variety requires the use of imported chemical fertilizers. I say that she has hit the nail on the head, because it is primarily the cost of chemical fertilizers, imported or not, that causes the inefficient production of rice.

It has already been proven that rice could be efficiently produced using organic fertilizers. In many cases, organic rice production has even surpassed records earlier made by chemical rice production. Given this reality, the government should now officially admit that organic fertilizers are better for the country, at the same time officially admitting that two months inventory already translates into a crisis.

What we need in this country is a sustainable mix of staple foods that could still be dominated by rice, but should be complemented by root crops that could be produced more efficiently, among which are potatoes, cassava, yam and even the native sweet potatoes (camote).

There are other grains that could be added to this sustainable mix, all of which could also be produced efficiently, among which are sweet corn, sorghum and even the native green gram mongo bean (balatong).

(EID-036) “SUSTAINABLE CHARITY”

Everyone agrees that there is a need to reduce the incidence of poverty (poverty reduction) and to lessen the sufferings of the poor (poverty alleviation). There are many charitable organizations that are implementing programs for poverty reduction or poverty alleviation or both, but there is always that problem of raising funds for the sustenance of these programs. In order to address this problem, the Inter-Charity Network (ICN) is looking into ways and means of raising funds for its partner organizations, to help them sustain their charitable works.

Traditionally, charitable organizations would often rely on donations in order to keep going, but donor fatigue would always get in the way, thus causing charitable works to run dry and to die out. Could there be an alternative to donations? The answer is yes, and that is to give supporters value in exchange for their money. That way, supporters are able to contribute to the raising of funds, without draining their own resources.

Taking off from the successful idea of selling Girl Scout cookies for charity, ICN is now coming out with a line of basic commodities that will be sold by its partner organizations through their own members. The products will give value to the customers in exchange for their money, but at the same time, they will be helping their favorite charities in raising funds. This is in line with the 2 in 1 strategy that ICN is adopting in its fund raising programs.

Also following the 2 in 1 strategy, ICN will be collecting recyclables through the members of its partner organizations, in exchange for product coupons. The participating customers will get value in exchange for their recyclables, but at the same time, they will not only be able to help their favorite charities in raising funds, they will also be helping in reducing the volume of solid wastes.

Also in line with the 2 in 1 strategy, ICN will be conducting market surveys through the members of its partner organizations, in exchange for product discounts. The participating customers will get value in exchange for their survey responses, while helping their favorite charities in fund raising.

Charity is as old as poverty. The problem of poverty may be the same from the beginning of time, but the passage of time has given us new ways of dealing with the old problems.

(EID-035) “DEVELOPMENT TASKS AND TARGETS”

I wrote in my prior article that cooperatives could be formed to realize the five advocacies of the United National Integrated Development Alliance (UNIDA), namely shelter, health, agriculture, peace & order and education or SHAPE for short.

One important ingredient for ensuring the sustainability of development programs is clearly assign the tasks to operating groups and to clearly define the performance targets of these groups.

Being the organization assigned to lead the shelter sector, the Inter-Charity Network (ICN) is now given the task of organizing cooperatives that would go into the business of building social housing for their own members. It appears that it would be a good direction to build condos where it is possible, to maximize the values of the available lands.

Until now, we are still talking to key players who could possibly head the formation of United National Health Association (UNAHEALTH). Once it is formed, UNAHEALTH will become the organization that will be assigned to lead the health sector. Eventually, it will be given the task of organizing cooperatives that will go into the business of building small hospitals for their own members.

Already formed but still in the process of gathering its internal strengths, Sama-Kabuhayan, the lead organization of UNIDA for the agriculture sector is now assigned the task of organizing cooperatives that would build corporate farms for their own members.

The Citizen’s Foundation for the Prevention of Crime & Injustice (CFPCI), the oldest member of UNIDA, will be assigned the task of organizing cooperatives that would provide third party services to the police stations and courthouses, mostly in the area of information and communications technology (ICT).

The University Consortium for Resource Networking (UNICORN), the second oldest member of UNIDA, will be assigned the task of organizing cooperatives that would build schools for the children of its own members. Possible entry points could be vocational schools and day care centers.

In all cases, the businesses built by the cooperatives will stand side by side, on equal footing, together with the existing condos, hospitals, farms, third party providers and schools owned by corporations, in the spirit of cooperation under the leadership and guidance of UNIDA.

(EID-034) “COOPERATIVES AND SHAPE”

Cooperatives could be formed to cater to any business under the commerce of man, and there is no reason why cooperatives could not be formed to cater to social enterprises that could make money for its members, aside from meeting the basic social needs of these same members.

Going back to the drawing board, I realized that cooperatives could be formed to realize the five advocacies of the United National Integrated Development Alliance (UNIDA), namely shelter, health, agriculture, peace & order and education or SHAPE for short.

Since cooperatives are very much like corporations, there is nothing that prevents cooperatives from entering corporate businesses such as building homes, putting up hospitals, running corporate farms and operating schools. With some creativity, cooperatives could even go into the business of supplying the third party resources for the delivery of peace & order services, which falls under the category of the protection industry.

Much to my surprise, the government housing agencies actually have a program that would enable developers to put up social housing, but there are very few takers because the margins are very small. The small margins could be a “problem” for corporations, but on the other hand, it could be an opportunity for cooperatives, since they would have ready markets for the housing products among their own members.

The rising costs of public health care could be a “problem” for the government, but on the other hand, it could be an opportunity for cooperatives to put up small hospitals, catering also to their own members. Chances are, this could be an innovative way of re-inventing the health management organization (HMO) model, but with a twist, because the members are more “naturally” linked to each other.

Corporate farms are usually associated with big corporations, but it is a business that farm cooperatives could go into. Sama-Kabuhayan, the lead organization of UNIDA for the agriculture sector is now giving free seminars about integrated organic farming systems, being the best model now for corporate farming.

Education is a good business with high margins and high returns. Cooperatives could actually put up their own schools, using technologies that would enable them to enter this business with minimal costs. The University Consortium of UNIDA could help them do this.

(EID-033) “A NEW LOOK AT COOPERATIVES”

Many cooperatives have failed over the years, because of internal conflicts mostly about financial and management practices. I am one of those who have been discouraged over the failures of the cooperative movement, but now I am rediscovering the potential of this approach, and I have come across new ways of solving the old problems, ways that would ensure the success of cooperative businesses.

Indeed, a cooperative is a business, and there is no other way except to run it well as a business, following good business practices or using good governance in every way possible. Just like the government, cooperatives are also prone to corruption, and just like the government, the cure to corruption is no other than good governance.

In many ways, a cooperative is very much like a corporation, except that it is structured to be operated through a more democratic and a more participatory framework. Unlike in a corporation where investors would have to put in large amounts of money to participate, anyone could be part of a cooperative, with very small amounts of money involved.

It’s no big discovery, but I found out that one of the main reasons for the failure of cooperatives is the absence of professional managers at the operational level. This may be a chicken and the egg problem, since many officers of cooperatives usually decide to run the day to day operations themselves, wanting to save money. If only they would hire professional managers, they could probably make the money they want.

Since the law actually requires cooperatives to hire professionals, all they have to do really is to comply with the law, and they would have the essential element of having good management, which is the key to good governance.

Going back to basics however, I think that the real key to the success of cooperative businesses is having a good product or service, just like a corporation. Next to this is having a good marketing program, just like a corporation, because if there are no revenues, there is nothing to sustain.

Over and above good marketing, cooperatives need good technology to make more money on one hand, and to save more money on the other hand. First on the list are good information and communications technologies, which should be made available to them at affordable prices. This is where socially oriented companies could come in to help.

(EID-032) “A FRAMEWORK FOR GOOD GOVERNANCE”

It’s good to see so many organizations working on their own to pursue their own advocacies, but it’s so sad to see them working so apart from each other, without integrating, coordinating and consolidating their diverse efforts. It is for this reason that we have formed the United National Integrated Development Alliance (UNIDA), to integrate, coordinate and consolidate efforts in five areas of concern namely shelter, health, agriculture, peace & order and education or SHAPE for short.

I believe that the lack of objective “targets” is one reason why integration, coordination and consolidation are not achieved, and it is for this reason that the UNIDA has identified specific “targets” for each area of concern, namely foundations for shelter, hospitals for health, the cooperatives for agriculture, courthouses for peace & order, and universities for education.

At the risk of stating the obvious, the Inter-Charity Network (ICN) defines shelter simply as “a place to stay”, meaning that its objective is to assist people in “having” an affordable place to stay, regardless of whether it is a house, an apartment or a condo, and regardless of whether they are buying it or renting it.

Strategically speaking, hospitals should be the “hub” of the health sector, bearing in mind that there are many other “spokes” around it, namely the clinics, laboratories and pharmacies. In the same manner, cooperatives should be the “hub” of the agriculture sector, with the farms, orchards, ranches and fishponds as its “spokes”.

Taking this strategy further, courthouses should be the “hub” of the peace & order sector, with the prosecutors, police stations, jails and firehouses as its “spokes”. The last but not the least, universities should be the “hub” of the education sector, with the colleges, vocational schools and training centers as its “spokes”.

In order to integrate, coordinate and consolidate their efforts, the five sectors will need to build databases and networks. Things are looking good up ahead, as the UNIDA has recently acquired a Digital Electronic Forms (DEF) technology that will make these tasks easier.

Sustainability is the name of the game in good governance. In order to sustain development programs, we need sustainable frameworks. Putting good technology to good use, we could possibly win this game.

(EID-031) “INTRODUCING EMIL”

You’ve met HAL, now meet EMIL. HAL (Heuristically programmed Algorithmic computer) is the fictional character in Arthur C. Clarke’s Space Odyssey saga, represented or presented only as his “eyes” that could be seen throughout the Discovery spaceship. EMIL is short for Electronic Multimedia Interactive Learning, a project of the University Consortium for Resource Networking (UNICORN) that will install electronic libraries in universities and schools in the Philippines.

You’ve also met ASIMO, Honda’s humanoid robot. Unlike ASIMO who took on a humanlike form, and unlike HAL who showed his “eyes”, EMIL is just going to be a cluster of personal computers (PCs) built around a room that will quadruple as a computer laboratory, an internet café, a business center and an audio-visual facility.

Unlike Ateneo de Manila’s Beowulf cluster, it will only handle simple online research tasks, and not complex computational science tasks. Simple as it is however, it is going to be as “sentient” as HAL was, being just a form of artificial intelligence that interacts with human users.

The Beowulf cluster was a successful attempt to group together ordinary personal computers to perform collective high performance computing tasks, short of what a Cray could possibly do, without spending as much. EMIL will also be built as a cluster, except that it will use “thin” clients, similarly performing the tasks of complete PCs, without spending as much.

The direction towards economical computing is very important for UNICORN, since it has the goal of making EMIL as pervasive as possible, meaning that it should be built in every school in the country, from the grade schools to the graduate schools.

In more ways than one, the client-server environment that uses “thin” clients is actually a re-incarnation of the mainframe environment, except that the “thin” clients have taken the place of the “dumb” terminals. The “secret” weapon of EMIL, the one that will make it intelligent is the new dynamic electronic forms (DEF) technology obtained by the United National Integrated Development Alliance (UNIDA).

A team of computer experts from UNIDA are now working on the design and architecture of EMIL, with the intention of piloting it in one of the UNICORN member universities in Metro Manila.

(EID-030) “THE UNIDA WAY”

By always combining the three components of manpower-infrastructure-content (M-I-C), the United National Integrated Development Alliance (UNIDA) hopes to implement its five advocacies namely to Build Homes, Eat Right, Think Green, Stay Safe and Always Learn or BETSA for short. The combination of these five advocacies add up to the UNIDA way of building homes, eating right, thinking green, staying safe and learning always.

Through the Inter-Charity Network (ICN) which is its lead organization for the shelter program, UNIDA is aiming to build homes that are not just cheaper, but are also stronger, safer and smarter. The UNIDA way is to build homes that are not just affordable, but are also sustainable as these would enable homeowners to save on costs of living in the long run.

Through the United National Health Association (UNAHEALTH) which is going to be its lead organization for the health program, UNIDA hopes to promote the habit of eating organic and natural foods, aside from enabling hospitals and clinics to modernize their service facilities.

Through SAMA-KABUHAYAN which is its lead organization for the agriculture program, UNIDA hopes to promote the lifestyle of thinking green, by taking care of the environment, aside from enabling farms and ranches to modernize their agricultural productivity facilities.

Through the Citizen’s Foundation for the Prevention of Crime & Injustice (CFPCI) which is its lead organization for the peace & order program, UNIDA hopes to promote the culture of staying safe, aside from enabling police stations and court houses to modernize their information systems.

Through the University Consortium for Resource Networking (UNICORN) which is its lead organization for the education program, UNIDA hopes to promote the practice of always learning, aside from enabling universities and schools to modernize their teaching facilities.

As I explained in my previous articles, the BETSA advocacies are in tune with the five programs of UNIDA, namely shelter, health, agriculture, peace & order and education or SHAPE for short. Many development programs fail because of the absence of one of the M-I-C components. Knowing this, UNIDA will strive hard to bring these three together, by converging these towards full completion.

(EID-029) “FIGHTING FIVE EVILS”

There are many socio-economic problems present in the Philippines now as a developing country, but having to choose its battles, the United National Integrated Development Alliance (UNIDA) has decided to fight the five biggest evils namely poverty, sickness, hunger, criminality and illiteracy.

Fighting these five evils is one thing, but the more important thing is to bring in the solutions for these problems, namely shelter, health, agriculture, peace & order and education or SHAPE for short.

There is certainly more to poverty than homelessness alone, but shelter is definitely as good start, since housing costs account for one of the biggest expenses of all families. Besides that, UNIDA sees the potential of neighborhoods working together to fight poverty.

Since the SHAPE approach has been defined, the leadership of the shelter program has been assigned to the Inter-Charity Network (ICN), a founding member of UNIDA.

We are still in the process of establishing the United National Health Association (UNAHEALTH) to lead the health program of UNIDA, but the new dynamic electronic forms (DEF) technology obtained by alliance could fast track the organization, since the technology has a strong appeal to hospitals and clinics.

The ICN has also recently decided to spin off its SAMA-KABUHAYAN project into an independent organization, thus enabling it now to lead the agriculture program of UNIDA as a full pledged member organization.

As planned, the Citizen’s Foundation for the Prevention of Crime & Injustice (CFPCI) will lead the peace & order program of UNIDA. The good news is that the DEF technology will also appeal strongly to police stations and court houses.

As planned as well, the University Consortium for Resource Networking (UNICORN) will lead the education program of UNIDA. There is also good news that the DEF technology will appeal strongly to universities and schools.

While the issue of corruption has caught the attention of the entire country now, UNIDA maintains the advocacy that graft and corruption are crimes that should be fought along with the other four evils of our society.