INTERNATIONAL FOOD ABUNDANCE RESEARCH AND MARKETING SCHOOL

INTERNATIONAL FOOD ABUNDANCE RESEARCH AND MARKETING SCHOOL Is anyone aware of a school that combines agriculture, fisheries, forestry, business administration, economics, engineering, information technology and other disciplines together towards the common goal of food sufficiency and food security? To put it in another way, is there a school that aims to solve the problem of extreme hunger and food scarcity? In other words, a school that would champion the cause of food abundance? As a case in point, the University of the Philippines (UP)System has all of the above mentioned schools and colleges that are scattered in several campuses, but there is no single location or facility where these could all converge for research, product development, training, packaging, marketing, networking and other related activities. As I understand it, there could be a piece of land inside UP Diliman that could be used as the site for this school, which we could tentatively call the International Food Abundance Research and Marketing School (IFARMS). Perhaps the university officials would be interested in this project, because it fulfills some of the functions that a state university should do, such as teaching courses, conducting research, creating employment and helping the community. As a research facility, IFARMS could conduct studies about artificial intelligence, machine learning, robotics, drones, renewable energy, biotechnology, organic agriculture, aquaculture, aquaponics, hydroponics, soil science, plant science, alternative feeds, biogas, biochar and water production. Of course, the energy research should include geothermal, solar, wind, hydro and wave sources. I think that the unifying factor here should be convergence. All the sciences within the UP system should be tapped to come together towards a single purpose, no other than food abundance. To be clear, the convergence should also include the social sciences, such as sociology and political science. IKE SENERES/07-01-2024

TELEMEDICINE AT THE GRASSROOTS LEVEL

TELEMEDICINE AT THE GRASSROOTS LEVEL Marinduque Governor Presby Velasco has a wonderful plan to make telemedicine available to all the 218 Barangay Health Units (BHUs) in his island province, and I am very happy to help him with the project as his Information and Communications Technology (ICT) consultant. Although the technology for telemedicine is already available in the market, it appears that no province has yet implemented a province wide telemedicine project that could connect patients from the grassroots level to the doctors at the municipal halls and the provincial capitol. By doing that, Governor Velasco will be able to achieve the goal of providing universal access to healthcare to everyone in his province. Although the project might appear to be complex, it is actually designed with a simple plan that would make it easy to implement. The one part of the plan is to install internet connectivity in each of the BHUs, using satellite or fiber, depending on what is available and affordable. The other part of the plan is to install an Electronic Medical Records (EMR) software system. As of now, EMR software is only available in private clinics, for the purpose of storing the medical records of patients in electronic form, either in Local Area Networks (LANs) or online data centers. Either way, a doctor would find it easier to diagnose a patient's ailments, because he or she has access to the medical history. Because of the internet connectivity, any patient who walks in to any BHU will be able to avail of an actual online consultation with a medical doctor who will probably be located at either the municipal hall or the provincial capitol. Of course, this system will work even if face to face consultations are not allowed. IKE SENERES/06-30-2024

MOVING AHEAD WITH PROJECT INNOCENTS

MOVING AHEAD WITH PROJECT INNOCENTS The Innocence Project Philippines Network (IPPN) was organized by Dr. Maria Corazon De Ungria and her husband, Atty. Jose M. Jose, for the purposes of 1. Providing free coordinated assistance to persons who were wrongly convicted, 2. Advocating for better laws, rules, education, investigative procedures and evidence handling, 3. Enhancing the capabilities of judges, prosecutors, lawyers, forensic investigators and students, and 4. Establishing an independent and accurate DNA or wrongful conviction database. They work with volunteer lawyers which include Atty. Paul Heherson Balite. I have contacted Dr. De Ungria, Atty. Jose, and Atty. Balite. I have invited them to join the chat group FREE THE INNOCENTS PH that I have created in Facebook Messenger. According to Dr. De Ungria, they have been running short-term internships for those who want to learn more about their advocacies and purposes. They will also be conducting online meetings wherein they hope to network with other law schools through their deans. I am hoping that through the chat group, we will be able to bring together all the people who have been invited to work together in this advocacy, namely Atty. Nards De Vera, Atty. Patrick Malik Velez, Atty. Jovy Salazar, Atty. Lembo Santos and Atty. Raj Palacios of the Sigma Rho Fraternity, Lt. Col. Thess Bodo and Col. Reynaldo Calaoa of the PNP Forensics Laboratory, Dean JG Grapilon of the Philippine Law School, and Dean Juju Lotilla of the MLQU Law School. Atty. Palacios plays a dual role, because he is also an Associate Dean of the UP College of Law. Dean Grapilon and Dean Lotilla are also members of the Sigma Rho Fraternity. I have also invited Ms. Angelica Gabinete of the the UP-Law Karapatan ng Komunidad sa Loob ng Selda (KAKOSA), Fr. Firmo Bargayo, SJ and Mr. Gene Alolosan of the Jesuit Prison Service (JPS). Hopefully, I will be able to invite some representatives from the DOJ and the DILG, particularly from the Bureau of Corrections and the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology, respectively. For my part, I hope to be able to contribute towards building the database of convicts who could potentially be freed using DNA evidence. In the past, I have helped some government agencies in building their Automated Fingerprint Identification Systems (AFIS). I also built the first National Crime Information System (NCIS), some parts of which are still being used today. IKE SENERES/06-29-24

THE TAMING OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE

THE TAMING OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE The United States Congress is already conducting hearings about how to develop and harness artificial intelligence (AI) towards the goal of using it as a tool for business, science, governance, agriculture and defense, among other productive purposes. Meanwhile, it has not entered the agenda of either of the two houses of our own Congress. I have used the word "taming" as a title of this essay, because that is exactly how I look at AI, that it is like a wild animal that has to be "tamed", otherwise it could go on a rampage that could cause damage or even death to humans. As a wild animal, it also has to be domesticated, otherwise it could just become feral, with no economic value or contribution to society. Microsoft Copilot defines AI as the "ability of digital computers or computer-controlled robots to perform tasks commonly associated with intelligent beings". According to Copilot, among these tasks are reasoning, discovering meaning, generalizing and learning from past experiences. In computer parlance, the latter is defined as "machine learning" (ML). Just to be clear, it is not the robot itself that is intelligent. It is the software program that runs the robot that is intelligent. In other words, an AI program does not need to take on a robotic physical form in order to function. That is the case of Alexa and Siri, two AI programs that could function through any computing device. Right now, the understanding of most people about AI is limited to chatbots like Copilot, ChatGPT and Gemini, but AI is really more than just chatbots. Technically, a chatbot is a also a robot even if it does not have a physical form, but there are many other AI programs that have taken physical forms, like ASIMO, JUSTIN and CHARLI. It is not too late for our Congress to start studying how AI could be used for the good of our country in general, and for the good of our national security in particular, including our food security. In case our Congress issues a call for help, I can mobilize our local AI experts to come in as resource persons, because I know many of them. Just invite them, and they will come. IKE SENERES/6-28-2024

PLANTING THE WRONG TREES

PLANTING THE WRONG TREES About ten years ago, the National Tobacco Administration (NTA) convinced many farmers in the La Trinidad and Benguet areas to plant tobacco. NTA even invested in a large warehouse and office in La Union for storage and logistics purposes. Eventually, it was discovered that the lands were not suitable for tobacco. Because of that, the farmers went bankrupt, and the warehouse became a white elephant. About six years ago, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) implemented a National Greening Program (NGP) with the goal of planting millions of trees in selected mountainous areas. Sad to say, the program failed, and the DENR lost millions of government funds. Some say that corruption was the cause of the failure, but other than that, I say that the cause could be planting the wrong species in the wrong places. Even up to now, the DENR appears to be planting the Bakhawan variety of mangroves everywhere, thinking perhaps that this variety could grow everywhere. Either that, or the DENR officials are not aware that there are many other varieties of mangrove, and not all varieties could grow everywhere. In other words, certain varieties are suitable only in certain places, depending on the quality of the soil and the water as well. Very recently, the Ramon Aboitiz Foundation, Inc. (RAFI) announced that they will be planting "native trees" in the barren mountains of Cebu Province, citing coffee and cacao as their chosen species. When I reported the matter to Imelda Sarmiento of the Philippine Native Plants Conservation Society, she was shocked, because she was very sure that these two plants are not native to the Philippines. It was also announced that RAFI will be planting Narra trees, thinking perhaps that these are "native trees" as well. They are not exactly wrong, but technically, Narra is more properly classified as an "indigenous tree". What that means is that Narra grows in the Philippines, but it also grows in other areas such as Southeast Asia, India and Australia. Fortunately, RAFI did not make the mistake of choosing Mahogany. Despite the fact that this tree is sometimes called "Philippine Mahogany", it is not native to the Philippines and is even classified as an invasive species. It is said to cause harm to the real native trees by chocking them out of resources such as water, and it tends to limit the growth of wildlife around it. IKE SENERES/06-27-2024

CATHOLIC LIFE ASSISTANCE AND SUPPORT PROGRAM

CATHOLIC LIFE ASSISTANCE AND SUPPORT PROGRAM In order for a seed to grow into a seed and eventually into a seedling, it has to be watered and nourished before it becomes a mature plant or a tree. I think that that analogy could also be used to describe the journey of becoming a Christian. Planting a seed into the soil is very much like planting the word of God into a person. That person could be converted or baptized, but it would be difficult for him or her to grow into a real Christian, not unless his faith in God is watered and nourished. Statistics show that more Filipino Catholics could be classified as "nominal", while the rest could be classified as "active" or "practicing. In other words, those who are classified as "nominal" are only Catholics in name only, but not in actual practice. It is also possible that many Filipino Catholics merely go through the functions of participating in some religious rituals, without really "practicing" or internalizing the word of God. In much the same way that growing a tree from a seed or seedling is a long and tedious process, it is also a long and tedious process to grow the faith in a Christian, even if he or she has already been baptized. It is for this reason that I have started a Messenger chat group in Facebook, so that Christians could share their learnings and experiences as they learn about the word of God, and grow their faith. Despite the name Catholic Life Assistance and Support Program or CLASP for short, it will be open to all Christians, and not just to Catholics. Of course, it will be open to those from other faiths who may wish to understand the word of God better. CLASP is simply a chat group, and there are no formal membership forms to fill up or membership fees to pay. With God's grace, we could have our own You Tube channel later. And yes, CLASP is also open even to those who do not have a religion or who do not believe in God. Just log on to Facebook and join. IKE SENERES/06-26-2024

PHILIPPINE INDEPENDENT PARTIES AND ORGANIZATIONS LEAGUE

PHILIPPINE INDEPENDENT PARTIES AND ORGANIZATIONS LEAGUE I noticed that there are many independent political parties and organizations that are outside the mainstream of the political arena. Because of that, their voices are hardly heard in the mainstream news media, probably because they do not possess the critical mass that could attract the attention of the news reporters and the editors. But what if they could consolidate all their voices into one bigger voice? Would that not make a difference? As much as possible, I have been avoiding political topics in my essays. Recently however, I have noticed that the bigger mainstream parties have been focusing more on their political agendas, and they have not been paying too much attention to their scientific and economic agendas. And even if they are doing that to some extent, it appears to be shallow and lacking. When I say economic agendas, I also mean the environmental, social and governance (ESG) components. ESG is a buzz word in the regional and global development circles. Most advanced countries have included ESG in their programs of government, as these are often advocated and articulated by their ruling parties. Of course, ESG also includes the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), as well as the Human Development Index (HDI). In an effort to start the ball rolling, I have created a Messenger Chat group in Facebook, and I have named it the Philippine Independent Parties and Organizations League forum, or PIPOL for short. Any member of any political party or party list organization could join, including the regional parties. Just to be clear, PIPOL is only a chat group, meaning that it is not an alliance nor is it a coalition. No single party or organization has to give up their identities, and there are no membership forms to fill up or fees to pay. All those who are interested could just just join via Facebook, and anyone can just leave the chat anytime. IKE SENERES/09088877282/06-25-2024

PUBLIC DIAGNOSTIC LABORATORIES

PUBLIC DIAGNOSTIC LABORATORIES Privately owned diagnostic clinics are necessary services and it is good to have them around. I am a regular customer in one of those facilities, and I am quite happy about the quality of their services. What makes me sad however is that it seems that only the middle class could afford to pay for their services, thus leaving out a huge segment of the population that have no access to medical laboratory services at all. As it is supposed to be, private customers could avail of the services of private medical laboratories, no matter how expensive these are, as long as they could afford to pay. On the other hand, low income people do not have the luxury of that choice, because as far as I know, there are no public medical laboratory services that they could avail of for free, if you know what I mean. For sure, there are many public health centers that are offering their services for free, but how well could the doctors in these centers diagnose their patients if they do not have the laboratory results that are necessary for their diagnosis? That is really the root of the problem, and the only solution to that is to build these free public medical laboratory centers. In theory, the graduates TESDA's short term laboratory technician courses may already be qualified to work in these laboratories, instead of the graduates of the four year medical technology courses. If for example there is a need to staff laboratories in all 42,000 barangays, it will have to be a mix of lab techs and med techs. It is possible that some of the Barangay Health Centers might have their own built-in diagnostic laboratories, but that would seem to be the exception, rather than the rule. Vantaztic, Inc., a leading supplier of modified container vans has an existing design that is suitable for these medical labs. IKE SENERES/06-24-2024

SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY ALLIANCE FOR NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY ALLIANCE FOR NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT It could be said that I strayed into the science and technology advocacy and policy field by accident. I had just taken my oath as a Foreign Service Officer (FSO) at the DFA, when I was recruited by then DFA Undersecretary Poch Macaranas to become his Special Assistant for Science and Technology. In that capacity, I became the Director of the UNDP Transfer of Knowledge Thru Expatriates (TOKTEN) program, the Science and Technology Advisory Council (STAC) and the Return of Knowledge (ROK) program of the International Organization for Migration (IOM). I also became the DFA representative to the DOST Balik-Scientist Program, the Science and Technology Coordinating Council (STCC), the UNDP Technological Trade and Information Promotion System (TIPS) and the National Information Technology Council (NITC). When I was the Director General of the National Computer Center (NCC), my agency was transferred to the DOST, and so I automatically became a member of the DOST Management Committee (MANCOM), with the de facto rank of Undersecretary. In that capacity, I was able to meet more scientists and technologists who represented all the DOST bureaus and attached agencies. Perhaps it was there that I began to fully realize the value of science and technology in our society. Very recently, I have the privilege of attending the online meetings of the National Academy for Science and Technology (NAST), where I was happy to meet many academicians and scientists. It is because of that that I was again reminded that we should really do more to harness the skills and talents of our scientists and technologists, towards nation building and national development. As my modest contribution towards this end, I have created a Facebook Messenger chat group for this purpose. If you want to join this chat group, please look for Science and Technology Alliance for National Development (STAND) in Facebook. We are inviting everyone who wants to support the science and technology advocacy in our country, including those who are still taking science courses in college, and those who have chosen the Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) strand in senior high school. Please help spread the word. IKE SENERES/06-23-2024

FILIPINO EMERGENCY RESPONSE NOTIFICATION SYSTEM

FILIPINO EMERGENCY RESPONSE NOTIFICATION SYSTEM Together with my business partner Mr. Ferdz Sabado, we have developed the Filipino Emergency Response Notification System (FERNS) so that the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) could be immediately notified by any Overseas Filipino Worker (OFW) whenever he or she is in an emergency situation, for whatever reason. Mr. Sabado and I came up with the idea for the software after we noticed that presently, the DMW does not have a system wherein they could find out right away, in real time, whenever an OFW is in trouble or in distress somewhere and would need immediate attention. More often than not, the DMW Secretary and his or her staff is one of the last ones to know whenever there is an active case. Simply by using a mobile app, any OFW can send a distress signal that could immediately be received by the DMW Secretary and his or her staff. That way, they will be the first to know whenever there is an active case. At the same time, also in real time, the recruitment agency of the OFW who is in trouble will also receive the same distress signal, so that he or she could also act on his own, but preferably in coordination with the DMW. There will be no cost to the DMW, because Mr. Sabado and I will donate the use of the mobile app to the DMW, free of charge. There is no need for a public bidding, because there is no procurement involved. All OFWs could also use the mobile app for free, with absolutely no hidden charges. Just like any other social media platform, we will earn our revenues from corporate advertisers and sponsors. If and when necessary, we could also donate the use of the mobile app to the DFA and the Commission for Filipinos Overseas (CFO), also free of charge. I am very happy to have the opportunity to serve my fellow OFWs by way of developing this mobile app. I am also happy to dedicate this app to the memory of my late brother, Ambassador Roy Seneres, who dedicated his life to the service of the OFWs through the OFW Family Club. IKE SENERES/6-22-24

PHILIPPINE INCLUSIVE SYSTEM FOR COLLEGE ENTRY OF STUDENTS

PHILIPPINE INCLUSIVE SYSTEM FOR COLLEGE ENTRY OF STUDENTS My advocacy partner Mr. Roi Baluyot and I have created the Philippine Inclusive System for College Entry of Students (PISCES), for the purpose of making it easier for prospective students from the marginalized sectors to enter any of the State Universities and Colleges (SUCs) that are located all over the Philippines. Although tuition is free in these SUCs, many prospective students find it difficult to proceed, because of possible expenses that they could not afford, such as books, learning materials, snacks, board and lodging, specifically for dormitory fees if they are from out of town. This idea started when Mr. Baluyot informed me that there are some UP alumni groups in the United States who are concerned about the fact that the the majority of the students who are presently enrolled in the UP campuses right now are mostly coming from the upper classes. That reality defeats the purpose of UP becoming a "university of the people". To address this problem, we thought of a program that is intended mainly for the Diliman campus. Eventually, we realized that we should not limit it to the Diliman campus, because UP has many other campuses where students could enroll, depending on what courses they will choose. Ultimately, we concluded that we should not only limit the program to the UP campuses, but we should expand it to include all SUC campuses. Technically, all students who are admitted to UP and to all the SUC campuses are "scholars of the people", but the value of that is diminished, because many students eventually drop out because they could not afford all the other expenses that are related to their campus journey. Hopefully, we could start solving this problem. What a waste if these students are already admitted, only to drop out. Could CHED do something? IKE SENERES/6-21-2024

COMMUNITY HEALTH ELECTRONIC EXAMINATION AND REPORTING SYSTEM

COMMUNITY HEALTH ELECTRONIC EXAMINATION AND REPORTING SYSTEM Together with my business partner Mr. Jorge Malig, we have designed a Community Health Electronic Examination and Reporting System (CHEERS) that will be housed in a converted shipping container van. The idea for CHEERS originally came from Mr. Malig, who wants to make available to all Filipinos several simple and affordable procedures such as urine and blood tests. Based on our research, we found out that a simple urine test might be good enough to measure the blood sugar count of a patient, although his or her doctor might still want the patient to get a blood test, to get more accurate data. Aside from urine and blood tests, more services will be added to CHEERS. According to Mr. Malig, he wants CHEERS to have solar panels so that it could have its own source of electric power. He also wants to install a water condenser and or a rainwater collection, so that CHEERS could be partly independent of the local water supply. With sufficient solar panels, it may be enough for water filtration also. On my part, I would like to include a small biogas unit, so that the methane produced gas could help reduce the electric power costs. The biogas may be used for cooking, for boiling and for the autoclave of the clinic instruments. Hopefully, the savings from electric power and LPG expenses will help lower the costs of the testing services, because the goal is to keep the prices low and affordable by all patients. IKE SENERES/6-20-2024

VILLAGE INTEGRATED COMMUNITY SQUARE

VILLAGE INTEGRATED COMMUNITY SQUARE Together with my business partner Mr. Jorge Malig, we have designed a four-in-one facility that we have named the Village Integrated Community Square (VICS). It is composed of four shipping container vans that will be formed into a square, hence the name. The middle of the square shall have a food garden that shall also double as a mini community park. One of the container vans will function as a police outpost, another as a convenience store, another as an internet cafe, and another as a public toilet. All the four vans are supposed to complement each other in terms of their individual functions. The police outpost will protect the internet cafe and the convenience store. The public toilet will draw the customers for the internet cafe and the convenience store. As it has been conceptualized, the owner of the convenience store and the internet cafe will share the rent for all the four vans, meaning that the police outpost and the public toilet will be rent free. This idea was originally conceptualized by my late friend Mr. Fernando U. Juan, but it was too early in time when he proposed it many years ago. I now dedicate this project in his name. This project is actually very easy for Mr. Malig to build, because he has already built many construction projects all over the country, using both container vans and prefabricated buildings under the brand name of Smarthouse Philippines. Among these projects are private homes, dormitories and condominiums. It was his company that built the massive Covid-19 facility near the Solair Hotel and Casino in Paranaque. Depending on their population and total land area, a barangay could have at least one VICS facility. The square could be constructed in any vacant space in both the urban and the rural areas. This design would also be ideal for the implementation of the Tourist Rest Area (TRA) project of the Department of Tourism (DOT). The TRAs will be built along national highways and within tourist spots. These could be also be funded by the LGUs. IKE SENERES/6-19-24

OFW DIGITAL INFORMATION NETWORK

OFW DIGITAL INFORMATION NETWORK Together with my partner Ferdz Sabado who is a Microsoft certified software programmer, I am developing an OFW Digital Information Network (ODIN) project. Unlike other job information sites wherein the job applicants will be the one to search, ODIN will be a site where recruitment agencies will be the ones who will search for qualified candidates for overseas jobs. To be clear, Ferdz and I are not in the recruitment business, therefore we do not need a recruitment license. Instead, we are in the information business. Ferdz and I both agree that we will be providing a much needed service not only to the recruitment agencies, but also to the job applicants themselves. That is so, because the recruitment agencies could save a lot of money by not spending money on their "help wanted" advertising placement. On the other hand, the job applicants need not spend too much money anymore just to go around applying at each and every agency. For that matter, they could just apply online, and that means they do not have to travel to Metro Manila if they live in the provinces. As much as possible, Ferdz and I will also try our best to screen the participating recruitment agencies, in order to weed out those who are illegal, and those who have negative records. In line with that, we will also install a feedback mechanism, so that job applicants can rate the service quality of the recruitment agencies, in a way similar to the rating system of Grab and AirBnB. Aside from that, Ferdz and I will also include an artificial intelligence (AI) feature that will help the recruitment agencies in selecting the most qualified candidates, based on available data. Conversely, it will also help the job applicants to choose the most reliable recruitment agencies, also based on available data. We believe that ODIN will be the first AI driven job matching platform in the Philippines. IKE SENERES/06-18-2024

ALTERNATIVES TO ANCESTRAL DOMAINS

ALTERNATIVES TO ANCESTRAL DOMAINS There is a social dilemma in many places that needs an immediate solution. I am here to offer a solution, and I hope that the civil society will listen. The problem is that not all indigenous communities are able to qualify for Certificates of Ancestral Domain Titles (CADTs) and because of that, they do not have places that they could occupy to live on, and to derive their livelihoods from. In the meantime, there are plenty of vacant lands around them that are owned by the government, but they could not apply for titles to these lands, because they do not have the proper historical claims to these areas. The solution is right there underneath our noses, but we have not thought of it, because it simply did not occur to us. According to the laws, any natural or juridical person for an Integrated Forest Management Agreement (IFMA), or any other similar government program under the DENR. What that means is that any indigenous community that has registered an association of any kind could apply for an IFMA, as an alternative to applying for CADTs. They can do this anywhere there are vacant forest lands. There are many advantages that could be derived from this approach. Firstly, their agricultural production could contribute to food security. Secondly, their tree growths could contribute to claims for carbon credits. Thirdly, the same tree growths could also be used to claims under the debt for nature swap scheme. Fourthly but not the least, the tree growths could also prevent erosion in the mountains. Of course, the trees could also contribute to water retention. Since the IFMAs are valid for 25 years and are renewable for another 25 years, that should give them enough time to earn enough money to eventually buy their own lands that will economic security for the long term. If you know of any indigenous community that would like to avail of this approach, please let me know. IKE SENERES/6-17-24

CONTROLLING ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE

CONTROLLING ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE I have always said that technology is neutral, and whether it is used for good or for bad depends on who is using it. The basic truth is that artificial intelligence (AI) is run by a computer software program that will do what it is programmed to do, depending on the command that the programmer gives it. So, if the programmer has bad intentions, the would of course perform bad or damaging actions. However, the truth is that the real instructions may not come from the programmer himself or herself, but whoever is paying him or her to do the programming. We have observed in so many dystopian and superhero movies that there is always a mastermind who is the evil mind behind the robots and the androids who are fighting the forces of good. Therefore, these masterminds are the ones who have instructed the programmers to write the instructions that are making the robots and androids obey the evil commands that have been issued to them. Generally speaking, we should not be afraid of AI. We should be afraid instead of the evil masterminds who will bankroll the production of robots and androids that will commit acts of destruction. Of course, we know that these masterminds are no other than the madmen who emerge to become the despots and dictators of evil regimes. There is no way for us to control the emergence of despots and dictators, but there are many ways for us to control the development of AI in its many forms, including robots, androids, drones and even apps. We could create policies, programs and projects that would ensure is always used for the good of our country in particular, and mankind in general. On my part, I am already involved in developing and promoting AI for use in education, healthcare and agriculture. The possibilities of AI are endless, and we are only limited by our visions and our imaginations. If your private company or government agency needs guidance in developing and promoting AI, please let me know and I will help you. IKE SENERES/06-16-2024

RECYCLING VERSUS UPCYCLING

RECYCLING VERSUS UPCYCLING What is the difference between recycling and upcycling? It seems that not too many people know the difference between the two. It would also seem that the government has not come out with an official differentiation either. In the absence of that, please allow me to offer my own definitions. Although my definitions might sound like common knowledge, let me just bring it out for the record, for whatever purpose it might serve. I think that recycling should mean the reuse of a recyclable material back to the same purpose. For example, a used plastic packaging could be recycled into another form or shape of plastic packaging, or even the same form or shape. Another example is to recycle aluminum cans back to aluminum cans again, also for packaging purposes. On the other hand, I think that upcycling should mean turning a used material into another useful product that is completely different from its original design or purpose. For example, used plastic packaging could be upcycled into plastic chairs, plastic hangers or plastic roofing materials. As another example, used aluminum cans could be turned into auto parts and housing components. To be consistent with the mantra of "reduce, reuse, recycle", let us just say that upcycling is the fulfillment of our desires to "reuse". But better still, why don't we improve the mantra by adding a fourth activity, so that it would now read as "reduce, reuse, recycle, repurpose"? I think that repurposing would open the door to more upcycling initiatives. We should now make it our goal to produce more upcycled products in order to support our other sustainable development goals, such as social housing and school chairs for public schools. Many upcycled materials could also be used for food production and food processing. As they say, "if there is a will, there is a way". Let me know how I can help. IKE SENERES/6-15-2024

IMPROVING OUR RAILWAY SYSTEMS

IMPROVING OUR RAILWAY SYSTEMS Not too many people realize that MERALCO was originally an acronym for Manila Electric and Rail Company, meaning that in those days, MERALCO was in the rail car business, powered by the electricity that they were also generating. Some might argue that the rail cars were not "true" trains, but I will also argue that anything that runs on a railway is a train, no matter what. Many years later, we were so fascinated by the "modern" LRT system that was built, not realizing that it is really just a rail car that runs on electricity that is supplied by no other than MERALCO. On closer look, the LRT system (and now the MRT) system is very similar to the subway systems running abroad, but we do not call the LRT a subway because it does not run underground. Actually, the MRT runs underground, but we still do not call it a subway. The good news is, the PNR will finally be modernized with extended rail routes to further destinations. The bad news is, the system will be shut down while the construction will be going on. One would wish that the project should have been planned in such a way that the whole system does not have to be shut down completely. How modern will the new system be? It will probably be faster than its present speed, but we do not hear about magnetic levitation or bullet train technologies being mentioned. Why wait this long to upgrade the old PNR system? Is it because of money? If it is about money, the government should invite more B-O-T or PPP proponents so that more train systems could be made, including destinations all over the Visayas and Mindanao. Is it not about time to do that? IKE SENERES/6-14-24

LOCALIZED FREE AMBULANCE SERVICES

LOCALIZED FREE AMBULANCE SERVICES As it is supposed to be, anyone in the Philippines should be able to dial 911, and a telephone operator should be able to dispatch fire, rescue, ambulance and police (FRAP) units as soon as possible, based on acceptable response times. I invented the FRAP acronym for easy recall, and I hope it sticks, if there is no other alternative. Unfortunately, due to a mixture of technical and political reasons, the Philippines has not adopted 911 as a national number, because some LGUs would rather use their own three-digit numbers such as 117 and 168. I actually proposed a technical solution to that problem, but it was not adopted either. For whatever it is worth, my solution is to install a call forwarding system that could route all calls to a central operator, regardless of what number is dialed. It is very sad for me to know that up to now, even if our country is already over one hundred years old, there are still many LGUs that do not have fire trucks. it is therefore not a surprise for me to find out, that there are also many LGUs that do not have free ambulances to dispatch, in case someone in their localities have to be brought to the hospital. When I was a Director of the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO), I was very surprised to find out that many LGUs would rather wait for a long time to recieve a free ambulance donation, instead of buying it on their own, considering that they are already able to buy other service vehicles on their own. I can understand that they might want to save money, but how much is the value of one life lost, because he or she was not taken to the hospital on time? I think that aside from the ambulances, the LGUs also need to train and hire Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs) who are the only ones qualified to man the ambulances. I think that it is about time for all citizens to demand that there should be ambulances that are ready to transport them, in case of emergencies. But aside from that, the LGUs need to put up their reliable 911 systems that could quickly respond to emergency calls. IKE SENERES/6-13-24

REDUCING THE RATE OF HOMELESSNESS

REDUCING THE RATE OF HOMELESSNESS As far as I know, there is no legal or technical definition of “homelessness” here in our country. Along with that idea, it appears that there is also no legal or technical definition of what a “home” is, or what it should be. Given the lack of definition, it would be very difficult to determine who is “homeless” or who is not. Is someone who lives in a shanty “homeless” or not? Of course, we need not go into discussing the technicality of what is a “home”, and what is a “house”. Let us just agree that a “house” is a physical structure upon which we can build a “home”. Now that we agree on that, we could also agree that a “homeless” person is someone who does not have a “house” to stay in, regardless of whether he or she is the owner, or he or she is just a tenant. Now that we are done with the definitions, my next question is, how is the government setting its targets for the so-called “housing backlog”? Is the government basing it on the number of “homeless” persons? If the answer is yes, how is the government gathering the data for that? First things first, I think that the government should first build a database of “homeless” persons, before it could set targets for the “housing backlog”. I also think that the data gathering should start at the LGU level, so that the mayors will know who are “homeless” among them. IKE SENERES/1-12-24

BUILDING A NATIONAL INFORMATION SUPER HIGHWAY

BUILDING A NATIONAL INFORMATION SUPER HIGHWAY As it is meant to be, national highways are supposed to be free. We paid our taxes, and the government built the national highways using the funds derived from our taxes, as appropriated by Congress. The equation changed when tollways came along. Even though we already paid our taxes with the expectation that the government would build national highways that we could use for free, we now must pay additional fees to the tollway operators, as if we are paying taxes all over again. My idea of a National Information Super Highway (NISH) is like the free national highways. The government should build it, and everyone could use it for free, including the telecom carriers, in the same way that bus operators could use the national highways for free. Of course, there should be a condition that since the telecom carriers are using it for free, their prices should be affordable for everybody, just like the bus fares. I welcome the news that the DICT will be building a National Fiber Backbone (NFB) project. I do not know the details about it yet, but I hope that it will be available for the free use of the telecom carriers, on the condition of course that they will use it to make our internet connectivity faster, but also cheaper. I also hope that they will not convert it into a tollway, such that we must pay again. IKE SENERES/6-11-24

WHAT IS UNIVERSAL HEALTH CARE?

WHAT IS UNIVERSAL HEALTH CARE? What is universal health care, and what makes it universal? Is it the fact that it is accessible everywhere? Or is it the fact that it should be available to everyone, regardless of who they are, and where they are? I believe that it should be the latter, and that is the reason why I also believe that we should refer to it as “universal access to healthcare” instead. In theory, there is really no such thing as “universal healthcare”, in the sense that healthcare is available to everyone, everywhere at no cost to them. It seems that not a single country has done that, even if Canada and some Scandinavian countries seem to be close to doing it. Here in the Philippines, it seems that the best we could do for now is to give “access” to everyone, even if there are certain costs to them. In his own way, Dr. Luis Ramon V. Rodriguez has found a way to give make healthcare more accessible to more Filipinos, and to make it more affordable to them. Using new Artificial Intelligence and Data Analytics (AIDA), technologies, he is now able to lower the costs of medical tests and procedures. And to make more medical devices available to more doctors, he is now offering rent-to-own (RTO) plans and pay-per-use (PPU) plans. These plans are now available nationwide. IKE SENERES/06-10-2024

EXPANDING THE NATIONAL COLD CHAIN NETWORK

EXPANDING THE NATIONAL COLD CHAIN NETWORK Somehow, there appears to be a cold chain network here and there, but it does not appear to be extensive enough to meet the needs of the logistics industry that is servicing the food and drugs sectors. Contrary to the common belief that the cold chain is only for the food sector, it is also needed by the drugs sector. My idea of a National Cold Chain Network (NCCN) is like that of the Internet, which is a “network of networks”, meaning that it is an aggregate network of many subsidiary networks. That is the reason why in theory, the Internet could not be destroyed as a whole, or it could not totally malfunction, because many of its parts will still function, even if some of its parts are already disabled. Mr. Jorge Malig is a businessman who builds cold storage warehouses using container vans and prefabricated materials. He uses a blast-in-freeze (BIF) technology that was developed by the late Filipino genius inventor Hernando B. Decena. As fresh foods are blast frozen in the warehouse, these are kept fresh as these are transported in reefer vans also built by Mr. Malig. I believe that all LGUs should have their own cold storage warehouses that should use the BIF method. The good news is, there are already many reefer vans that could be integrated to form an expanded NCCN. IKE SENERES/09088877282/06-09-2024

DILIMAN URBAN FOREST PARK

DILIMAN URBAN FOREST PARK I am proposing to build an Urban Forest Park (UFP) inside the Diliman, Quezon City campus of the University of the Philippines. I am hoping that if it becomes successful, it can become the showcase for my advocacy to build new growth forests in all urban areas all over the Philippines. It may sound ambitious, but do not worry because we have all the time to make it happen. Probably, it will take at least twenty years to grow. The proposed urban forest will be planted with native trees, and only native trees. However, it could also be planted with vegetables and other high value crops, in connection with my secondary goal of also building a food forest. Yes, the primary goal is to help combat global warming, but the secondary goal is to contribute to food security. Even if my goal is to build urban forests, the showcase in Diliman could also become the prototype for beach forests in coastal areas, and rain forests in mountain areas. The latter could take hundreds of years to build, but again, we might still have the time to build it, not unless the worst effects of climate change happen sooner than later. I am hoping that the UFP will become a campus wide goal that should also include the participation of students and alumni from all colleges and organizations. Everyone could at least donate seeds and seedlings. IKE SENERES/06-08-2024

HOSPITAL ON WHEELS AS A MOVEMENT

HOSPITAL ON WHEELS AS A MOVEMENT In a country like the Philippines where there are many towns that do not even have hospitals, something must be done, not only to bring the hospital services closer to where the people are, but to bring these services to where they really are, right where they live and work. And that is precisely what Dr. Jim Sanchez had in mind, when he founded Hospital on Wheels (HOW). But now, after many years of visiting many remote and distant destinations, after providing many medical, surgical, dental and visual services to thousands of people, Dr. Sanchez wants to grow HOW, so that he could bring it to many more destinations, and so that he and his teams could provide many more services to many more people. The solution to the problem is social networking. Nowadays, almost any form of human activity has something to do with social networking, either directly or indirectly. And that is why I think that the best direction for HOW to take, is to transform it into a mass movement, using the power of social networking for mobilization. Don't you think it would be exciting for netizens, especially the younger people, to get involved in looking for people to help and heal? The satisfaction from helping and healing people is something that money cannot buy. And now, HOW can make them experience that. IKE SENERES/6-7-2024

FUNDING FOR URBAN FARMING

FUNDING FOR URBAN FARMING Farming is nothing new. Mankind has been farming since our departure from purely hunting and gathering. Urban farming is nothing new either, except for the venue perhaps, being places where there are human settlements. Rural farming will always be there also, and there is nothing new about that either. So, what is it that is new that we are looking for? In order not to sound too ambitious, I will just put this in the form of a wish. I wish that urban mayors will start providing funds for urban farming in all its forms, including vertical farming and tree farming of course, and not to forget bamboo farming as well. And vertical farming should include not only fruits and vegetables, but also fish, poultry and livestock. As part of our initiatives for food security, we should go beyond the stage of treating urban farming as a hobby, meaning that we should start treating it as a business. We should now include urban farming outputs as part of our overall production targets. If we can do this right, we can even include this in our export targets also. Although urban farming should really be treated as a business, it should also mean having enough food for home consumption, not only for the urban farmer, but also for his or her neighbors. It could also address hunger and malnutrition in the long run. IKE SENERES/06-06-2024

URBAN FORESTS AND HEAT WAVES

URBAN FORESTS AND HEAT WAVES Urban forests could be a three in one solution to the problem of heat waves and rising temperatures. Firstly, the trees could provide shade that could as the heat. Secondly, trees could produce oxygen that could cool the air. Thirdly, the trees could produce food that could nourish us. As proof of the first and second solution, it was recently reported that the temperature in the Arroceros Forest Park in Manila was lower than anywhere else in the city. The third solution could be a little bit tricky, because not all trees could bear fruit and produce food. There is a solution for that however, because the late Dr. Jose “Pepe” Cunanan came up with the idea of using the trees, any tree as a trellis that could grow any climbing plant or vine that could produce edible leaves and fruits. Can you imagine an acacia tree bearing squash fruits? We have always known that trees could be a solution to climate change, but it is a good thing that we now realize that trees could also be a solution not only to lessen global warming, but also to increase our food security. Is that not a very simple, common sensical reality that we should realize? Is that not enough to convince all of us to plant trees in every vacant land everywhere? Our goal now should be to build a forest in every space, in every village, so that there will be trees everywhere. IKE SENERES/06-05-2024

WHO IS RESPONSIBLE FOR WATER IN THE PROVINCES?

WHO IS RESPONSIBLE FOR WATER IN THE PROVINCES? The power sector has perfected a system wherein the functions of production, transmission and distribution are clearly assigned to three separate industry players. The National Power Corporation (Napocor) does the production, the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) does the transmission, and power concessionaires like MERALCO does the distribution. That is not so in the water sector. In Metro Manila, the two water concessionaires, namely Manila Water and Maynilad are responsible for production, transmission and distribution in their respective concession areas, even if they also depend on water sources owned by the government. It appears to be a different story in the provinces, where the production, transmission and distribution of water is the responsibility of the local water districts. These local water districts are supervised by the Local Water Utilities Authority (LWUA) which is a GOCC according to its charter. In other words, water supply in the provinces is the responsibility of the national government, and not of the LGUs. In the spirit of devolution, is it not about time that Congress investigated this issue? In this connection, we should apply the rule of subsidiarity, to deal with a problem at the lowest possible level. IKE SENERES/06-04-2024

MARKETING OF FILIPINO SOFTWARE BASED SERVICES

MARKETING OF FILIPINO SOFTWARE BASED SERVICES When I was working for a Singapore based software development company, we had much success developing web apps and mobile apps made by a combined team of Filipino and Indian designers and programmers. Of course, the Indians were good programmers but later, I learned that Filipino programmers are just as good. Just like the case of Filipino inventors, the problem is always on the marketing side, and not on the production side. There are very few Filipino inventions that have successfully penetrated the global markets, and sadly, neither has Filipino made software products and services. That is why I am trying to do something about it, however I can. Recently, here has been an explosion of new artificial intelligence (AI) software such that it has opened doors for some of my friends to offer consulting services for clients as to how to come up with a strategic plan, so that they could either survive the entry of AI, or be able to make more money by providing new services that are powered by AI. Looking ahead, I am now looking for new AI powered products and services that I could promote abroad, with the help of my former DFA colleagues who are now assigned abroad. IKE SENERES/09088877282/06-03-2024

FROM ABANDONED FISHPONDS TO MANGROVE FORESTS

FROM ABANDONED FISHPONDS TO MANGROVE FORESTS Environmentalists seem to have hit the jackpot when DENR Secretary Maria Antonia Yulo-Loyzaga ordered the inspection and evaluation of abandoned, underdeveloped and underutilized (AUU) fishponds, to be able to identify potential areas for mangrove restoration. Although it may still take some time before the order becomes fully implemented, she has already fired the first shot. Just to give this order a historical perspective, hundreds if not thousands of wetlands and mangrove forests were destroyed in the past, to be converted into commercial fishponds. Perhaps at that time, there was not much appreciation about how the destruction of wetlands and mangrove forests could affect the environment. To be fair, nobody objected also to the potential of food production at that time, with new economic growth of course. Although food production will never be replaced as our top national priority, we must now balance that nowadays with our other top priorities of climate change adaptation and disaster risk reduction. After evaluations by a Technical Working Group (TWG), some of these AUU areas could be converted back into wetlands and mangrove forests, by way of replanting and regeneration. Let us all help the DENR in this endeavor, because it is good for all of us. IKE SENERES/06-02-2024