PATRONIZING FILIPINO MADE JEEPNEYS

PATRONIZING FILIPINO MADE JEEPNEYS I heard about imported hard-tail mackerel or round scad (galunggong) being sold in the local markets that are probably smuggled, and are probably from China. That is probably triple jeopardy if we can call it that. The sad thing about that is that galunggong is supposed to be a local fish, and our local fishermen are supposed to be earning a livelihood from that, except that that is now being stolen from them. I can imagine how our rice farmers are feeling about the fact that after many years of working us to grow the rice that is their means of livelihood and is our means of survival, that too is being stolen from them as we are importing more rice supplies from abroad, some of them probably smuggled too. The other irony is, we are buying rice from the people who only learned how to grow rice from us. Now comes another big blow that will not only hurt our economy, it will also hurt our egos and our national pride. We know that the jeepney was originally an American product that we localized because of our ingenuity, but why are allowing some people to change it into a Chinese product? I really felt sad when I saw the supposedly Filipino jeepneys that are made in China, being sold here. How can that be? Why are we allowing foreign companies to profit from a product that we could actually produce locally, probably even in a better way? I call on the government to look into this. Who can do it? The DTI? Or the DOTr? IKE SENERES/04-01-2024

USING GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SYSTEMS

USING GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SYSTEMS When I was an IT consultant at the Makati City Hall, we implemented a Geographic Information System (GIS) primarily for the purpose of computerizing the city’s Real Property Tax Assessment System (RPTAS). It was there that I learned that flat analog maps are really not reliable as legal basis for defining property lines, because these are almost always inaccurate. I also learned that the best approach to solve the problem is to conduct a new land survey that would define property lines based on coordinates, and not based on the old cement markers. Because of the RPTAS that we implemented, there was an increase of real property tax collections, meaning that the investment of the city government was worth every penny of it, and the project became a major source of income for the city. At that time however, internet based online services were not yet available, so what we implemented was really an offline system that was only running in a Local Area Network (LAN). Fast forward to today, I am now an IT consultant for the Marinduque provincial government, and I now have a new opportunity to implement a province-wide RPTAS, covering six LGUs. But now that internet access is available, we are going to make sure that the service will be online. That way, any owner of any piece of property within the province could pay for their real property taxes any time and from anywhere, even if they are not in the province. IKE SENERES/09088877282/03-31-24

FREE ORGANIC FOOD TESTING AND CERTIFICATION

FREE ORGANIC FOOD TESTING AND CERTIFICATION When I was working as a Commissioner of the Philippine Year 2000 Commission (Y2K), I was troubled by the fact that many companies were already claiming that they were already compliant, even if there was no technical or legal basis for them to support their claims. Realizing that it was a threat to national security to allow such a free-for-all of claims, I proposed to the Commission to adopt the testing standards of the British Standards Institute (BSI), because at that time, we did not have the time and resources to develop our own standards. Fortunately, the Commission approved my proposal, and the rest is history. Fast forward to today, I may no longer be in government, but I am still concerned (actually alarmed) about the fact that many companies are now claiming that their products are organic, even if there is no technical or legal basis for them to support their claims. Like “being a legend in their own mind”, they are saying that their products are organic, either according to their own imagination, or perhaps according to their mother. To solve this problem, I propose that we adopt a national standard that is based on an existing standard, like the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) standard, for example. This is a very important and urgent matter, because many products are now flooding the market, with their distributors claiming to be selling organic quality. By the way, being organic does not automatically mean hygienic. IKE SENERES/03-30-2024

TELEMEDICINE TO SOLVE THE SHORTAGE OF DOCTORS

TELEMEDICINE TO SOLVE THE SHORTAGE OF DOCTORS Have you heard some people say that many Filipinos die without seeing a doctor? I did not believe that at first, but then I realized later on that it is true. At first, I thought that the problem is affordability, meaning that people could not afford the cost of seeing a doctor, but I understood later on that it is a problem of availability or accessibility, because there are simply not enough doctors who could see all the patients. As of 2022, there was roughly one doctor for every 26,000 people in the Philippines. That is only the national average, because in BARMM and Region 11, the ratio is roughly one doctor for every 40,000 people. It appears however that part of the problem is that many doctors are not practicing. Out of about 159, 283 doctors, 95, 039 are practicing, 40.3% are not practicing (about 2 out of 5). It is estimated that the number of Filipino doctors who are now working abroad is about 10,000. Not unless we will encourage the hybrid approach of doctor-to-patient consultations via both face-to-face (in person) and via online (telemedicine), we will never have enough doctors who could consult with their patients when needed. This is something that we could do already, since the internet is now accessible in many places, even in the provinces. I believe that if we do this, many doctors who are not practicing now will decide to practice again, thus increasing the availability of doctors. Even those doctors who are abroad could still practice remotely via online. IKE SENERES/09088877282/3-29-2024

TRUTH IN PRODUCT PACKAGING AND LABELING

TRUTH IN PRODUCT PACKAGING AND LABELING There was a time in the recent past when the biggest challenge for marketing companies was to comply with the rules pertaining to “truth in advertising”. Nowadays however, the marketing companies a bigger challenge to comply with additional rules pertaining to “truth in packaging and labeling”. It now seems that since the new rules are perhaps too many, some marketing companies now find it easier to either ignore the rules, or to go around these instead. One of the more common violations are the failures to indicate the countries of origin and the names of the manufactures or distributors, together with their contact details. Other than that, there are also violations pertaining to the lack of nutrition information, the lack of ingredients information, and the lack of allergens information. The latter is a matter of life and death to those who have food allergies. I imagine that the FDA would not give license to operate (LTO) to these marketing companies if they are not compliant with the rules. Either that, or some of these marketing companies might have found ways to go around the rules. Perhaps the loophole here is that LTOs pertain to companies only, and do not pertain to individual products. So, what should we do in order to run after these violators? It seems very clear that the lead agency should be the DTI, but I think that the other agencies that should join the task forces should be the DILG and the DOH. IKE SENERES/03-28-2024

SOLVING THE PROBLEM OF HUNGER

SOLVING THE PROBLEM OF HUNGER Sometimes we seem lost in the flurry of words, but it is clear enough to me that the term “involuntary hunger” is much more real than “perceived hunger”. It seems that the former is real “felt” hunger, whereas the latter could be “imagined” hunger to some extent. Knowing that, I felt sick in my stomach when I read that according to the SWS, the number of Filipino families that experienced “involuntary hunger” increased from 9.8 percent in September 2023 to 12.6 percent in December 2023. In layman terms, it could be explained that many Filipino families have no choice but to go hungry, because they could no longer afford to buy food. That could be because they are not earning enough to be able to buy food to eat, or the prices of food have risen for them to be able to afford it. One way or the other, that also means that many Filipino families have also fallen below the poverty line, because they could no longer afford the “imaginary basket of goods”. Although it might sound too simplistic, I believe that a practical solution is for Filipino families to grow their own food in their own backyards, or in community farms that are perhaps owned and operated by them through cooperative organizations. Towards that end, I am hoping that all LGUs everywhere will find good reason to help them with technology, financing and marketing. On my own, I have gathered enough contacts among agricultural technology providers, enough to be able to help those who will reach out to me. IKE SENERES/03-27-2024

WHY IMPORT COCONUT PRODUCTS?

WHY IMPORT COCONUT PRODUCTS? Have you heard the funny jokes about selling refrigerators to Eskimos? How about that other joke about selling camels to Arabs? Do not laugh now, but will it sound like a joke if foreigners will try to sell coconut products to Filipinos? Again, do not laugh, but about ten years ago, it would be funny if you tell stories about foreigners trying to sell rice to Filipinos! But look at what is happening now? Ever since I was a brand coordinator at San Miguel Corporation many years ago, it has become my habit to read the packaging of any consumer product that I could get my hands on, to find out who makes it or who sells it, or where it is coming from. Imagine my surprise when I found a can of imported coconut milk from Sri Lanka, already processed into condensed milk by mixing it with cane sugar! What is happening to our country? Are we unable to can pure and simple coconut milk? Or mix it with cane sugar to produce condensed milk? How hard is it to do that? What hurts the most is that both ingredients are bountiful in our country, and canning food is practically a cottage industry by now! What have we done wrong, or what are we not doing right? Where have we failed, and which government agency could have prevented this slap on our faces? Could it be the DTI? Or the DOST? Or the DA? Whichever it is, it is not too late to correct this missed opportunity! Who will act first, and what kind of help do they need from us? IKE SENERES/03-26-2024

THE GOVERNMENT SHOULD PATRONIZE FILIPINO INVENTIONS

THE GOVERNMENT SHOULD PATRONIZE FILIPINO INVENTIONS Yes, the government should patronize Filipino inventions. And not only that, it should set the example by taking the lead in buying the products that are the results of these inventions, so that the private sector could follow suit. Somehow, the government should find a way to reconcile its own policy decisions with its own procurement actions. For example, the government issued a policy that mandated the consolidation of jeepney operations, but it did not make a policy that would require the buyers of new jeepneys to patronize the Philippine made vehicles. As a result, most of the sales probably went to the dealers of China made vehicles. Some might argue that the Chinese models are cheaper, but then, some Filipino makers like Francisco Motors are saying that their prices are even lower. I think that the government should come up with a policy that for as long as the Filipino inventions are approved or accredited by an authorized agency such as the DTI, the FDA or the DOST, then the entire government could already start buying it. As a matter of fact, all government agencies could dispense with public bidding if the Filipino products are unique and proprietary, meaning that it has no competitors in the local market. As an initial step, perhaps all local inventions should be vetted first by anyone of the local associations of inventors. It would also be good if these associations could unite, so that they can have one solid voice. IKE SENERES/03-25-2024

ARE PHILIPPINE MONEY BILLS USING ABACA OR NOT?

ARE PHILIPPINE MONEY BILLS USING ABACA OR NOT? Gemini AI (formerly Bard AI) says that Philippine money bills (bank notes) are using abaca fabrics, but the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) website does not say that it does. Either the BSP is not saying it directly, or the information might be hidden somewhere in the website that I could not find. What it says in the website is that the 1,000-peso bank notes are using a material called polymer. To be precise, Gemini AI says that “contrary to popular belief, Philippine peso bills are not made purely from synthetic materials”, and it further says that “in fact, they are primarily composed of abaca”. If that is so, why does the BSP not say so directly in their website? Why did they talk more about the features of polymer more than the features of abaca? Although I agree with the claim of the BSP that the bank notes made with polymer are cleaner and are more cost effective in the long run, I am very much concerned that the BSP might have set aside the objective of using and promoting our own native abaca fabrics. As a matter of fact, it would be ironic if other countries would continue to use abaca, and we are not. Although the BSP might have failed to elucidate on the real composition of the materials that they used, I am still hoping that Gemini AI would be correct in what it said, that the material used is primarily abaca, and therefore polymer is only a secondary material. Would someone from the BSP come forward to clarify this matter? IKE SENERES/03-24-2024

WILDLIFE RESCUE AND RETRIEVAL HOTLINES

WILDLIFE RESCUE AND RETRIEVAL HOTLINES How many people know that the Biodiversity Management Bureau (BMB) actually has a hotline for wildlife rescue and retrieval? It would be good for everyone to know this number (09129092310), so that they could call the BMB whenever wildlife needs to be rescued or retrieved. The same number could also be contacted via Viber. Other than the ordinary people like us, I think that the officers and staff of the LGUs should know this number, especially those in the uniformed services such as their policemen, firemen and barangay guards. To that, they should include the local disaster risk reduction management teams. And for those who have forgotten, BMB used to be known as the Protected Areas and Wildlife Bureau (PAWB), and it is still under the DENR like before. Most of us are aware of the need to protect the Philippine Eagle (monkey eating eagle) and the Tamaraw, but we should also know that there are hundreds of other native and endemic wildlife that also need our protection, even if they are not so popular. Native species are those that evolved within our country but could also be found elsewhere. Endemic species are those that could only be found in our country. For example, the Philippine Warty Pig is an endemic species that is still heavily hunted up to now. Some might argue that it is only a pig, but I will also argue that it is part of our patrimony, therefore we should protect it. IKE SENERES/03-23-2024

UNRESPONSVE GOVERNMENT AGENCIES

UNRESPONSVE GOVERNMENT AGENCIES Before the internet and mobile phones came along, we could only contact the government agencies using landlines. The problem with using landlines is that almost always, the person “in-charge” is not always available, and even if he or she is available, we have to talk to so many people before we could talk to him or her. Almost always, the person on line will just tell us to go to their office instead, which defeats the purpose of using a communications device. Nowadays, it is ironic that despite the fact that very few people have access to landlines, many government agencies publish only their landline numbers, thus making it impossible for the public to contact them via mobile, email or social media. Believe it or not, there are many government agencies that do not even have a social media presence at all. The sad thing is, even if some government agencies would publish their mobile numbers, email addresses and social media accounts, they hardly ever answer at all, and if ever they do answer, all we get are auto-replies or some chatbots giving us robotic and impersonal messages. I wonder if our government officials realize that it is more expensive to call a landline from a mobile phone? That it is actually cheaper for our people to contact them via text, email and chat messages? Even Viber, WhatsApp and Telegram are cheaper to use than a text message. So why don’t they use these three platforms too? IKE SENERES/03-22-2024

THE POLITICS OF RECYCLING

THE POLITICS OF RECYCLING I am told that one of our local billionaires is earning more millions by simply collecting the recyclables from their numerous shopping malls all over the country. Take note that I used the term “recyclables”, and not “garbage”. Whatever that rich guy is doing, there is really nothing wrong with that, because his family owns the malls, and there is no corruption involved. Besides, he is doing his part in reducing the volume of garbage that goes into the landfills and dumpsites. In contrast, I am also told that there are some local officials who are already millionaires, but are earning more millions from the business of collecting, hauling and dumping the garbage into the landfills and dumpsites. There is probably nothing wrong with what these guys are doing, except that there seems to be a conflict of interest with their personal goal of making more money, and their sworn duty to implement their solid waste management programs. In theory, the more recyclables are collected for “genuine” recycling, the less solid waste there will be to collect, haul and dump. Conversely, the lesser recyclables are collected, the more money can be made from collecting, hauling and dumping. That is the reason why in some localities, even the “presorted” recyclables are thrown back into the rest of the garbage. I think that the solution to this conflict is to have separate trucks for the collection of recyclables. That way, the real recyclers could also make money. IKE SENERES/03-21-2024

THE GROWING ORGANIC FOOD MOVEMENT

THE GROWING ORGANIC FOOD MOVEMENT I do not know how they are doing it in the United States, but over there, it is the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) that certifies that the produce are organic, even if there are also private certifying bodies that do the same. The USDA certification is probably not free either, but it is probably cheaper than the private certifiers. How I wish we can do that here too, for the benefit of poor farmers who could not afford to pay the private certifiers. Since the Philippine Department of Agriculture (DA) is not offering free organic certification services, almost anyone could claim that their produce is organic, according to their own minds, or probably according to their mothers. There appears to be some local certifiers also, but these are expensive from what I hear, and none has achieved the same credibility as the USDA certification. Aside from having chemical free and uncontaminated soil, the key to genuine organic agriculture is having organic fertilizers and natural insecticides, meaning that these are also chemical free. And in addition to that, the fertilizers not only have to be organic, these should be virus free and bacteria free. Sad to say, there have been cases of people getting sick because of contaminants in organic vegetables. I wish that the government would study the comparative economics of using organic fertilizers versus chemical fertilizers. While the former could be cheaper, the production could be lesser. Could the DA make that study? IKE SENERES/03-20-2024

LET’S REVIVE OUR MANGROVE FORESTS

LET’S REVIVE OUR MANGROVE FORESTS While there are many reasons why we should revive our mangrove forests, there is only one reason why we are not doing it, and that is plain and simple apathy. It seems that as much as we did not care to stop those who destroyed them, we also seem not to care to revive them. It seems that common sense is not so common anymore, because very few among us are moving to revive our mangrove forests, even if it is common sense to do so. While it is true that mangrove reforestation has long term benefits such as carbon capture and climate change adaptation, the short-term benefits are even more valuable, because it has directly something to do with our food security and our human security, the latter pertaining to increasing our defenses against storms and even tsunamis. This might sound as if it is coming out of a kindergarten lesson, but if we revive the mangrove forests, the planktons will come back. When the planktons will come back the small fish and the shrimps will come back. When the small fish and the shrimps will come back, the big fish will come back. Believe it or not, even the dugong will come back! As a bonus, the crabs will also come back. There are actually other plants and trees that are not true mangroves, but are considered as “mangrove associates”. One such associate is the nipa palm, a species that is touted by some scientists to be a source of fuel. IKE SENERES/03-19-2024

ARE POWER COMPANIES IGNORING THE LAWS?

ARE POWER COMPANIES IGNORING THE LAWS? To my surprise, I received a formal reply from the DOE in response to my column about requiring power companies to issue advanced notices to households that have very sick persons or persons with disabilities (PWDs) in case of planned power interruptions, so that they could make the necessary preparations. I am surprised not because I feel important, but because it is not very common for government agencies to take the trouble of formally responding to ordinary citizens. To cut a long story short, the DOE said that there is no need to issue new orders, because the power companies are already required by existing rules and regulations to do precisely that, to inform very sick persons or PWDs in advance, in case of planned power interruptions. There is therefore no question about whether or not there are existing rules and regulations. There is however a question of whether or not the power companies are actually doing it. The DOE said that although the power companies are required to provide advanced notices to very sick persons or PWDs in their homes, they are not required to notify the hospitals. That appears to have been forgotten by whoever issued those rules and regulations. The good news is, some power companies are informing the hospitals on their own. What can we do to fully implement these rules and regulations? Perhaps we can require all the power companies to have mandatory compliance officers? IKE SENERES/09088877282/03-18-2024

LET’S BUILD A PROSUMER ECONOMY

LET’S BUILD A PROSUMER ECONOMY A prosumer economy is an economy wherein the producers of goods and services are also the consumers of these goods and services. In other words, it is practically a closed economy wherein those who control the means of production are also the ones who control the means of distribution, a means that would of course lead to consumption. Under the existing consumer economy, the means of distribution is controlled by corporate giants that are often also owned or controlled by the upper classes of our society. To a large extent, the means of production are owned or controlled by them too, except for a few companies that are owned by small and medium enterprises (SMEs). Under the existing consumer economy, the lower and middle classes of our society are spending without earning, because that is all that they could do. Under an alternative prosumer economy, the lower and middle classes of our society will be able to earn while they are spending, because they are also the ones producing what they are consuming. Under an alternative prosumer economy, the lower and middle classes of our society will also be able to earn discounts and rebates every time they would buy any product or service from their cooperatives. Not only that, they will also earn dividends from their cooperatives at the end of the year. Yes, coops are the key towards achieving a prosumer economy. That is the way, and there is no other way. IKE SENERES/03-17-2024

LOCAL WILDLIFE PROTECTION

LOCAL WILDLIFE PROTECTION It could be argued that many of our LGUs could barely take care of their human populations, such that they may not have the interest at all to even care for the wildlife in their jurisdictions. I think however, that that is a faulty argument, because when politicians run for public office, they should be able to provide attention to a whole gamut of concerns, not just for human oriented services, but also for the environment, including all of God’s creation, which of course includes wildlife. If any politician will declare that he or she has neither the time nor the interest to protect wildlife, then he or she should have no business running for office, and if he or she does run, then the people should not even vote for him. Besides, wildlife is part of the environmental balance of nature and if a politician does not value the environment, then the people should not value him also. I believe that the first duty of a public official is to find out what are the wildlife species that are still living in their jurisdictions, especially those that are already endangered. Not unless they know that, they may not be able to make intelligent decisions when it comes to approving or disapproving the environmental impact statements of project proponents. For example, the Tarsier is found not only in Bohol, but also in Samar, Leyte and Mindanao. And there are species of native deer and wild boar that could still be found in local forests. Can anyone tell me which LGUs are not protecting their wildlife? 03-16-2024

INDIGENT VERSUS NEEDY

INDIGENT VERSUS NEEDY When I was working as a Director of PCSO, I realized that there is not much of a difference between an indigent person and a needy person, and as a matter of fact, the two could be one and the same. In theory, PCSO should only provide financial assistance to indigent persons, but how could we say no to needy persons who do not appear to be indigents? Applicants who ask for financial assistance from PCSO and who claim to be indigents are required to secure a Certificate of Indigency from their barangay chairman. Based on what I know however, most chairman would issue such certificates to almost anyone, knowing perhaps that most of their residents are needy, one way or the other. I happen to know a lot of people who are technically not indigents because they are earning some incomes and may even happen to have some savings. The problem is, they lose their means of income when they get sick, and they often have no choice but to spend their savings for their treatments. That is how they become practically needy, even if they would still appear to be affluent. Fortunately, the social workers of PCSO know their job very well, and somehow, they are able to sense that even if an applicant appears to be affluent, he or she might have become indigent already, because of the high costs of his or her treatments. As a matter of fact, they might have fallen below the poverty line already. IKE SENERES/03-15-2024

JEEPNEY TRANSPORT COOPERATIVES

JEEPNEY TRANSPORT COOPERATIVES We hear so much about “jeepney consolidation” but I think that instead of focusing on that, we should focus on “cooperative formation”, and by that, I mean the formation or the strengthening of transport cooperatives. To me, that sounds like a cause-and-effect relationship, and by that, I mean that cooperativism should be the cause, and consolidation should be the effect. Long before the idea of “jeepney consolidation” came along, there are many transport cooperatives already, and many of them already own and operate jeepney units. As the saying goes, “if it isn’t broke, don’t fix it”. And by that, I mean that we should have just encouraged the adoption of more jeepney units, but owned and managed by transport cooperatives. Strictly speaking, it does not even have to be transport coops at all, because it can just be any cooperative that is already selling all kinds of products and services, and all they have to do is to add jeepney operation as another service. That is so simple and easy to do, and any coop can do that. I am wondering why the jeepney drivers have to be forced to go into consolidation, if it is going to be profitable to them, meaning that they can make more money out of it. And if they can be offered friendly and affordable financing packages, there should be no need to force them also to buy in. but the good news is, many coops can afford to finance their own projects, if and when profitable. IKE SENERES/03-14-2024

MAKING HOLLOW BLOCKS FROM CRUSHED GLASS BOTTLES

MAKING HOLLOW BLOCKS FROM CRUSHED GLASS BOTTLES “From sand to sand” could be another version of “from dust to dust”. No, I am not talking about life after death, but the parallelism could be true if we could make new products from crushed glass bottles, including hollow blocks for building homes. That is so because glass bottles are essentially made from sand, and if these are crushed into small grains, these could become sand again, or something that looks like sand. Before globalization came along, it was very easy to recycle glass bottles, because most of the two-way glass bottles were made by the local manufacturers who needed to buy these back. When globalization happened, all kinds of glass bottles of all sizes entered the market, and the importers of these one-way containers had no need to buy them back. In the old days, used glass bottles were bought by the piece by the junk shops, but they can’t do that too much now, because most of the bottles are one-way. To solve that problem, I now propose that we should pass a law requiring the junk shops to buy used bottles by the kilo. I am sure that law will not be a burden for them, because they will make money from that. Buying back by the kilo may be a new idea, but crushing used glass bottles to turn them back to sand is not a new idea, as it is already being done in many other countries. One objection to this idea could be the electricity cost, but I think the power costs could be recovered through the sale of the finished products, including the new homes. IKE SENERES/03-13-24

JUVENILE DETENTION CENTERS

JUVENILE DETENTION CENTERS In theory, jails are for minor offenders with short sentences, and prisons are for major offenders with long sentences. Jails are usually run by local government, and prisons are run by the national government. But these definitions are almost always not exact, and the differences often get blurred here and there. More often than not, arrested suspects who are still waiting for hearings or sentencings are also placed in the jails, and they are usually mixed in with those who are already sentenced and are already convicted. There seems to be no problem with that if we are talking about adult inmates, but there are really big problems when we are talking about juvenile offenders. Also in theory, those who are still awaiting sentencing are really just detainees and are therefore not prisoners, strictly speaking that is. That could not be truer in the case of juveniles, who are technically just detainees, and are not prisoners. But the problem is, these juveniles are always mixed in with the adult detainees. While the obvious solution is to put up separate detention centers for the juveniles, what is really needed is a wholistic solution that should involve a complete ecosystem, and not just the simplistic putting up of physical buildings. For one, the mental health of these young people may already be a problem, and that is why the suicide rate among them is very high. Who should lead these wholistic efforts? Perhaps the DILG? Or the DOH? Or the DSWD? IKE SENERES/03-12-2024

BANNING HARMFUL INSECTICIDES AND HERBICIDES

BANNING HARMFUL INSECTICIDES AND HERBICIDES It is very clear that the Environmental Management Bureau (EMB) under the DENR has direct authority over the control, importation and distribution of chemicals that are classified as regulated, phased out or banned because of the serious risks that they pose to the environment in general and to public health in particular. What is not clear is how the EMB is coordinating with the other government agencies that also have the indirect or indirect authority over these chemicals. To name the obvious ones, these would be the FDA, the DTI and of course the Department of Agriculture (DA). How is the coordination done? Is there a technical working group (TWG) or a coordinating council? Perhaps when a major problem occurs, this could become a Cabinet matter? It is very difficult to imagine how government agencies would act when their jurisdictions would happen to collide with each other, especially when it comes to certain regulatory functions. For example, there are some insecticides and herbicides that should be regulated by the BMB, but are seemingly allowed or tolerated by the DA, even if these are already reportedly banned in some countries. And since some of these products are reportedly cancer causing, should the DOH also not play a role? Early on, the DOH could actually get involved if it wants to, because the FDA is under them. Let’s not wait for something to happen before we act. IKE SENERES/3-11-24

SELF-RELIANCE IN FARM MACHINES

SELF-RELIANCE IN FARM MACHINES Mr. Ramon Uy, Sr. of Bacolod City believes that we Filipinos could become self-reliant in making and maintaining our own farm machineries and equipment, and I agree with him. He owns a social enterprise that doubles as a foundry and as a manufacturer of these machineries and equipment. What that means is that he is not just talking about making this goal happen, he is already making it happen in real life. As far as many of us would probably think, the only way to level up from using carabaos in the field is to buy the farm tractors that are almost always imported and are too expensive. That is no longer true now, because Mr. Uy has already started making his own farm equipment, starting with small and simple designs, but also starting to move up to bigger and more complex designs. On the practical side, he is already making the replacement parts for the imported machines that are difficult to source locally and are too expensive to buy. What usually happens is that the machine owners would just junk these assets if they could not source the parts. Aside from making these parts in his own foundry, he helps the farmers in putting up their own mini-foundries through his “pandayan” project. Aside from making replacement parts, the “pandayan” also makes other products that the farmers could sell to make extra money, such as small tools and kitchen knives. In a manner of speaking, Mr. Uy has started a mini-industrial revolution. IKE SENERES/03-10-2024

MORE DRUG TESTS AND PSYCHIATRIC EVALUATIONS

MORE DRUG TESTS AND PSYCHIATRIC EVALUATIONS The present leadership of the PNP should be commended for removing various offenders from the service. The moves might seem drastic, but I am sure that these leaders know what they are doing, and that the offenders deserve what they got. I just hope that the removal was done with due process, and that no one was deprived of their rights. I do not know how the PNP is doing it, but I think that all government agencies, especially the uniformed services should conduct drug tests and psychiatric evaluations as often as possible, perhaps even quarterly if their budgets could afford it. I purposely singled out the uniformed services because of many examples of abuse among them, even if we know that most of them are upright and decent. In fairness to all the good men and women in our uniformed services, their top officials should continuously remove the weeds from among the wheat, so that the name of those good people will not be tarnished by the bad people. After all, the laws provide for the due processes that would allow the removal of those who do not deserve to be in the service. Perhaps it would also be appropriate to create new mechanisms to reward the men and women who wear their uniforms with honor and dignity. They could perhaps be given top priority when they apply for public housing, or perhaps their children could be given scholarships with complete allowances for books and other expenses. IKE SENERES/3-9-24

GOVERNMENT ASSISTANCE FOR COMPOSTING PROJECTS

GOVERNMENT ASSISTANCE FOR COMPOSTING PROJECTS Mr. Ramon Uy, Sr. of Bacolod City told me that the government, through the Bureau of Soil and Water Management (BSWM), an agency under the Department of Agriculture (DA) is already helping farmers by providing them with composting facilities, so that they could make their own organic fertilizers. That may be one small way of helping the farmers, but it is a big step towards developing the market for organic produce and ensuring our food security. The composting facilities consist of one shredder and one composting drum. The package includes training on the operation and use of the equipment. The BSWM provides the package to any LGU and farmers’ cooperative, for as long as they are interested in producing their own organic fertilizer using their own biodegradable waste. They could send a letter of request to the DA, care of the BSWM. Mr. Uy, through his social enterprise RU Foundry, is also engaging directly with the farmers, providing them with interest free loans, organic fertilizers and black rice seeds. He buys back the palay at a guaranteed price of 20 to 22 pesos per kilo. He threshes the palay himself, and brings the moisture content down from 24% to 12%. In his own small way, Uy is providing a package of that includes financing, technology and marketing. These are the inputs that all farmers everywhere need. Let me know if you know of other heroic social entrepreneurs like him. IKE SENERES/03-08-2024

RECYCLING, COMPOSTING AND GARDENING

RECYCLING, COMPOSTING AND GARDENING Recycling, composting and gardening are all parts of the same value chain that all communities should “operationalize” everywhere, all the time, and all over the country. I should say wherever there is there is waste and wherever there is hunger, but these two are actually everywhere too, and are present all the time too! I should also say that it sounds like it is easier said than done, but that is not true either, because it is not too difficult to do, and it could be one everywhere, from Mavulis island in Batanes, to Saluag island in Sulo, from Forbes Park in Makati City to Payatas Dumpsite in Quezon City. Recycling starts with the segregation of biodegradables and non-biodegradables. For the most part, the latter has commercial values when sold as paper, plastic and metals. The biodegradables generally do not have commercial value except when these are converted into fertilizers. And that is where composting comes in. Composting could be done with or without earthworms, but doing it with the latter has some added advantages, such as the production of vermicast or worm castings. Depending on its quality, some waste food may be used as hog feed, but that is usually not advisable because of health reasons. Gardening becomes easier and cheaper with the use of organic fertilizers that are produced through composting. If you need help in doing this value chain, I can assist you. IKE SENERES/03-07-24

LACK OF IMPORTER’S INFORMATION IN PRODUCT PACKAGING

Perhaps not everyone of us would really care, but I know that there are many patriotic Filipinos who would really want to know the countries of origins of the products that they are buying, for their own reasons. More often than not however, they would like to know where the product is made, so that they could decide to buy the product or not. The bad news is, there are hundreds, if not thousands of products out in the market that are not properly labelled, such that consumers do not have a way of knowing where those products are coming from. The good news is, there is a law that requires importers and manufacturers to place the required information in their packaging, including its country of origin. Although the Food, Drug and Cosmetics act mandates the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to enforce the said law, its jurisdiction does not include all other products that could not be classified as foods, drugs and cosmetics. Presumably, everything that could not fall under these three categories would fall under the jurisdiction of the DTI. Given the apparent overlaps between the jurisdictions of the FDA and the DTI, how are they coordinating their actions between the three of them? And how would consumers which of the two to go to in case of complaints? And where could we see a running record of compliance? And where can we find a list of our own homegrown products, just in case our own patriotism would inspire us to buy local? IKE SENERES/04-06-24

LET’S USE OUR OWN NATIVE FABRICS FOR OUR UNIFORMS

Why did Mahatma Gandhi spin his own cotton fabrics? The answer to that might appear to be shallow, but there are actually very deep reasons behind his actions. Firstly, Gandhi was advocating self-reliance. During that time, the British colonists had disrupted India’s textile industry, making them reliant on imported fabrics. He also wanted to reduce all dependence on imported goods, not just textiles. Secondly, he was advocating economic empowerment. He believed that spinning cotton could provide incomes for the poor, especially women in the rural areas. Thirdly, he was advocating a form of non-violent protests. He believed that making and wearing local fabrics was a symbol of peaceful resistance against British colonialism, it was also a way to reject British goods and show pride in Indian culture and tradition. Here in the Philippines, we have an edge over Gandhi because we already have R.A. 9242, a law that mandates the use of Philippine tropical fabrics for the manufacturing of uniforms for all employees of government agencies, presumably including military and police personnel as well. The bad news is, we seem to be too far away from its full implementation. The good news is, the Civil Service Commission (CSC) has already stepped into the picture, and has used its authority to ensure compliance. But how do we know the progress of its enforcement? Perhaps the CSC should have a computerized system that will report the status of compliance by all agencies? IKE SENERES/04-05-2024

GRANTS AND LOANS FOR FILIPINO INVENTORS

Creating new value added is the key to building a bigger and stronger economy. Not unless we create our own new value added as a nation, we will always remain as a trading economy, meaning that as a nation, we will always be limited to buying and selling the goods and services of other countries. There is no rocket science behind this reality. Creating new value added is just like investing in agriculture. Not unless we cultivate the land and plant seeds in, no crops will grow, and there is nothing to harvest. Same way with inventions. Not unless we produce new patents, we could not produce our own new products, and therefore we could not create new value added. In that sense, our inventors are similar to our farmers. Not unless our inventors will create new products, we will have nothing new to sell to the rest of the world. Of course, we could always make products for other countries, but not unless we own the intellectual properties in the form of patents, trademarks and copyrights, we will not have much to earn. Going straight to my point, the only way to create our own intellectual properties is to support our own inventors with grants, loans and other financial incentives. Aside from the financial support, we should also provide them with technical assistance in terms of building their prototypes, and providing them with marketing assistance by way of providing them with buyers and distributors. IKE SENERES/04-04-2024

GOVERNMENT PEOPLE INACCESSIBLE ONLINE

It is really a sad reality that many government people from all branches are not accessible online, despite the billions of people that have been spent for the internet infrastructure, and despite the administration’s drive for digitalization. Sad to say, these people were probably inaccessible before the internet was invented, and they are still inaccessible now that the internet has become pervasive. Before the internet was invented, many people were frustrated because it was very difficult to contact government people via landlines, and if every you can get past the busy tones, the people you need to talk to are probably not available, and if someone is available, he or she might not be the right person. More often than not, the person answering will probably ask you to call again, or just go to their office in person. Now that the internet has been invented, we are faced with new frustrations as we encounter government people who do not reply to our emails, and who only answer us with chatbots who keep giving us the same answer regardless of what we ask. As always, the chatbots will tell us that they will get back to us later, but they never do. There are also some government agencies that do not have a social media presence, and even if they do, they turn off their messaging features. What is worst is when they post their website addresses but are actually dead links. What can we do about these people? Any ideas? IKE SENERES/03-03-2024

SCIENTIFIC COOPERATION WITHIN ASEAN

After 30 years of existence, it seems to me that the EU has done more than the ASEAN has, after the latter’s 56 years of existence. Perhaps that is the way the European psyche works, to go more towards “binding agreements”, as opposed to the “non-binding agreements” born out of the Asian psyche of the ASEAN members. But the fact that the ASEAN has grown in membership over the last 56 years, and it has kept the peace in the region all those years is already an outstanding achievement, considering that we could not even say the same of the United Nations. But after 56 years of being nice to each other, I think that it is time for the ASEAN members to go into some “binding agreements” selectively at least, or as they call it in the diplomatic circles, to go into more “confidence building measures”. Perhaps the best way to get this started is to go into scientific and technical agreements that would solve common problems such as air pollution, ocean plastic waste, wildlife conservation, marine research and earthquake information. The first two areas that I have mentioned are already affecting some ASEAN members that are adjacent to each other, because these problems do not know political boundaries. Generally speaking, all ASEAN members could also go into the sharing of best practices in good governance, disaster management and climate change adaptation, among others. These are under the framework of economic diplomacy. IKE SENERES/03-02-2024