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| ON THE OTHER HAND |
| Let Them Eat Bio-fuels
By Antonio C. Abaya Written on April 9, 2008 For the Standard Today, April 10 issue President Arroyo seems to be pushing the panic button � which is good, if you ask me - regarding the developing rice crisis. Perhaps she is heeding the warning that hungry voters mean a sure defeat for the incumbents in the next elections. Does this mean that she will be running for re-election in 2010? In quick succession this week the National Food Authority started selling rice in one-kilo bags, instead of by the 50-kg sack, supposedly to discourage the repacking of the cereal by unscrupulous rice dealers who repack the low priced NFA rice and re-sell them as high-priced premium or imported rice. Upon arrival from Hong Kong ,. President Arroyo convened the Cabinet right at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport during which she announced that she was authorizing the use of P5 billion to subsidize the country�s rice farmers and ensure a steady supply of the cereal. She also said that local government units can tap the P32 billion budgetary surplus to encourage rice production. President Arroyo also raised the farmgate price of palay from P12 per kilo to P17 per kilo, a significant 42 percent increase. It is not clear if this increase in farmgate price is part of the P5 billion subsidy announced the day before. But it can be said with confidence that the positive feelings that this series of moves was meant to generate is tempered with fears that this new bonanza to rice farmers may also be a bonanza for the embedded crooks in her biological and official families. After all, the P728 million fertilizer scam of 2003-2004 remains unresolved, with the principal suspect, Agriculture Under-Secretary Joc Joc Bolante, languishing in a US federal prison, waiting for his request for political asylum to be granted, rather than coming home to face further investigation. Perhaps anticipating that cynical reaction, President Arroyo has enlisted the support of the Roman Catholic Church in the distribution of subsidized rice to the poorest of the poor, especially in Metro Manila .. An astute political move, either to repay the bishops for withdrawing from the Gloria Resign! movement, or to soften them up for 2010, or, in my opinion, both. Joey Salceda was right. She is one lucky �b**ch. Even in the gloomiest scenario, she manages to snatch a victory from the jaws of defeat.. But why only the Roman Catholic bishops? How about the Iglesia ni Kristo,, the El Shaddai, the Born Agains and the Muslim imams? Don�t their members also eat rice? Meanwhile, to show their civic spirit and their concern for the plight of the poor, the Communist New People�s Army in Iloilo province seized two trucks laden with rice and set them ablaze on March 30. Nice people to have around, these Communists, when we are grappling with a critical problem.. Easily the most positive side-effect of the rice crisis is the realization, FINALLY, by Congress (and hopefully by President Arroyo as well) that the food crisis is exacerbated by the population crisis, that this country will never be self-sufficient in food as long as the population continues to gallop away to a Standing Room Only scenario. According to the Standard Today (April 09, 2008), the budget for family planning is being increased this year from P200 million to P2 billion, of which P800 million will be used for an education-information campaign to help couples decide which method of birth control they will adopt; and P1.2 billion will be used for condoms and birth control pills that are �medically and legally permissible,� for free distribution to poor families, according to Rep. Edsel Lagman of Albay. This country has not been self-sufficient in rice since the mid-1960s, after which we have had to import the cereal, year after year after year. In 2007, we became the biggest rice importer in the world, which is a shameful distinction since we are host to the International Rice Research Institute in Los Banos, where agriculturists from all over South and Southeast Asia have learned the most modern technologies for growing rice. Our problem is population. We are having more children faster than we can grow the food to feed them. The most graphic illustration of this is a comparison of the Philippines with Thailand , as I have mentioned several times in this space. In the 1970s, the Philippines and Thailand had about the same population size, about 45 million. But because Thailand had an active and comprehensive population management program, and the Philippines did not, in 2007 there were 89 million Filipinos, but only 65 million Thais. That surplus of 24 million more mouths to feed encapsulates the failure of this country. By all yardsticks of common sense, it is easier to feed, house, clothe, educate and find jobs for 65 million people than for 89 million. And yet, except during the presidency of the Protestant Fidel V. Ramos, succeeding governments failed or refused to appreciate that truism, largely because the politicians were deathly afraid of incurring the wrath of the Roman Catholic bishops. Hopefully, not anymore, if that P1.2 billion budget for condoms pushes through this year. In Thailand , the lynchpin of their population management program was the free distribution of condoms. The bureaucrat who implemented that program was so successful that his surname, Mechai, became the Thai word for condom. Compare the population growth rates of Thailand and the Philippines , and weep: In 1985, it was 1.7 percent for Thailand , and 2.4 percent for the Philippines . It was 1.3 and 2.8 per cent in 1990; it was 1.2 and 2.3 in 1995; it was 0.9 and 2.17 in 2000; it was 0.68 and 1.95 in 2006, and 0.66 and 1.91 in 2007. The other country, besides Thailand, that the Philippines buys its rice from, Vietnam, had a population growth rate of 2.5 percent in 1985, 2.5 in 1990, 1.9 in 1995, 1.53 in 2000; and 1.04 in 2007. Which also indicates a deliberate and successful program of population management. Both Thailand and Vietnam are predominantly Buddhist and have no religious hang-ups about the use of artificial methods of birth control. As if being predominantly Roman Catholic were not handicap enough, we have the additional burden of having been suckered into the bio-fuel stampede. President Arroyo and Sen. Juan Miguel Zubiri, no doubt with the noblest intentions, convinced us to follow the global rush of converting farm lands into plantations for bio-fuel crops. Rep. Roilo Golez seems to have been the only person in Congress to take a contrarian view. I wrote in my article titled Wayang in Bali of Dec. 17, 2007 that bio-fuels were not a wise alternative to fossil fuels:. http://www.geocities.com/dapat_tapatt/wayang.html I wrote that burning bio-fuels would still result in the emission of carbon dioxide, the perceived culprit in global warming. Furthermore, converting millions of hectares of farmlands from food crops to bio-fuel crops � sugarcane, rapeseeds, jatropha trees, etc � has reduced food harvests worldwide and has consequently raised the prices of food staples. When I wrote that article, the price of our pan de sal had just increased from P2.00 to P2.50 per piece, due to the higher cost of wheat. Now we and the rest of the world are stuck in a giant bio-fuels sink hole that has raised food prices worldwide so high that the specter of food rations and food riots have been raised. For the same reason, our government is pressing the panic button as fears of a rice shortage become self-fulfilling. In a brutally frank cover story in its April 7 issue, TIME magazine calls it The Clean Energy Scam, with the following blurb: �Hyped as an eco-friendly fuel, ethanol increases global warming, destroys forests and inflates food prices.� Warns TIME:�The bio-fuels boom�is one that could haunt the planet for generations � and it is only getting started�..� Not enough food on the table? Let them eat bio-fuels. ***** Reactions to [email protected]. Other articles in www.tapatt.org and in acabaya.blogspot.com NOTE: Transmissions to yahoo.com and mydestiny.net addresses are sometimes delayed or blocked by the servers for one reason or another. If you are experiencing these delays or blocking, we suggest that you move to a hotmail or a gmail address. To subscribe, send a blank email with the subject heading Subscribe. To unsubscribe, send a blank email with the subject heading Unsubscribe. OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO Reactions to "Let Them Eat Bio-fuels" Maybe I may be wrong with my perception on our rice crisis. As I see it, we have plenty of rice in our country. We have many improved and high yielding varieties, thanks for the IRRI which is helping our country for rice sufficiency since some decades ago. Many countries sent their agriculturists to train at the IRRI, like Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam, Indonesia, etc..and they are successful in producing more rice! And we are happy for them as they have now the capacity to export their rice to our country! Indeed we have plenty of rice here in our country.. only, plenty seems to be in the warehouses of hoarders, NFA warehouses, and those that are rotting in many warehouses! No thanks to our agencies who cannot even file charges of economic sabotage against these culprits! Don't we have laws on economic sabotage, and its corresponding criminal sanctions? Perhaps, our Lawmakers should make this their priorities to serve our country. Sana, isipin naman nila ang kapakanan ng ating mamamayan, huwag lang mga pork barrel, allowances, at masasaganang bulsa nila! Anong nangyayari sa Law to reduce the price of medicines; how about the anti-dynasty law; and the review on the Senior Citizens discount provisions? Imagine mo na lang Tony, yong senior citizens grocery discount is only 5% on a weekly purchase of php650.00, and covers the following items... sardines, chicken, noodles, evaporated milk, sugar, cooking oil, which are not even the BASIC NEEDS of a senior citizen! Hindi covered ang rice, toothpaste, healthy milk and nutritious food like Ensure or quaker oats, bathsoap, cheese, vegetables, and fruits, and healthy fruit juices! May God bless you and your family always. More power to you! Avelino Lagman, Jr., (by email), April 09, 2008 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Dear Tony, This is one the opinion of one of the few experts that I recognize and I respect.. Regards, Jerry Quibilan, (by email), April 10, 2008 Dear Jerry, We have always advocated a science-based bio-fuels development and commercialization. This includes the cautionary attitude because of food security and environmental considerations. That's why we should be selective in developing and promoting such biofuel crops. Being selective means we should have only smart bio-fuel crops. Smart crops are crops that would not compromise food security and environmental security. Corn is not a smart crop because it is part of the food value chain so it's diversion for bio-ethanol production will really endanger food security which is now felt today in most developing countries. It has led to rising food prices beyond the reach of the poor. Sweet sorghum is a smart crop because it is a multi-purpose crop. The grains are used for food, the juice extracted from its cane is for bio-ethanol, and the bagasse is for fodder or for co-generation. This crop also is climate change crop because it is carbon dioxide neutral, meaning what it captures, it also emits. This crop also use less water than sugarcane, corn, and cassava. The increasing food prices obtaining in the country is now the result of the long neglect given agriculture. It has always been underinvested. We don't have a long term strategy for food/rice sufficiency. A number of approaches should be undertaken to meet our food/rice requirement: 1. Increase production/productivity per unit area using science and technology, 2. Increase hectarage for food production, 3. Sustain rural infrastructure development, 4. Sustain empowerment of farmers, and 5. Provision of affordable credit. I believe that the country will be self sufficient with sustained, long term, higher investments given to the sector including population management, and efficient and effective systems where corruption is eradicated. Thanks and regards. Willie Dar, (by email), April 10, 2008 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Bio-fuels are/will be a major disaster. If government officials all ate bio-fuels, they could easily light up their farts. Robin Meyer, (by email), April 10, 2008 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Tony, What ever the government do at this time to solve the rice crisis, the immediate doable thing is make water flow to our fields and farms. Activate operations of the National Irrigation Administration. Give them the needed funds and equipment to make the water flow to our fields. Importing is just a temporary solution where people in the trade make a lot of money at the expense of the consuming public. Just one statement of some key peiople of GMA, they make billions for themselves, but do not really solve the food crisis. We need to be self reliant, not depending from other countries for our basic food requirements. We suggest that a martial plan to convert Liguasan Mash in Central Mindanao a rice and fish production area. It has abundant water, very fertile soil and is the place were rebels stay in poverty and discontent. Let us make them productive,. We solve rebellion, food crisis and be self reliant. Rex Rivera, (by email), April 10, 2008 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Both the Executive and Legislative leaders must be serious in creating a mechanism to decrease the rate of run-away population growth in our country. They have to "grab the bull by the horn" so to speak and ignore the objections by the Catholic Church. Its time that the state must protect the people from food shortage and economic crises by imposing short term method of population reduction program within the bounds of legal and social imperatives. The state must grant to the individual citizen the right to exercise what his conscience dictates and pursue a family planning method that is within his economic needs and socially practicable. To allow and ignore a poor family unlimited children is a crime which the state must check and stop. Let us not be Puritanical nor blind to the economic realities of scarce resources that arable lands for food production is shrinking globally with no alternative solutions. I hope our leaders are seeing the signs of the times with black gold hitting over the US$100.00 per barrel. Jojie Umali, (by email), Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, April 10, 2008 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww You are absolutely right! It's lack of foresight in leadership! Take care and God bless you, Gerry Garay, (by email), Clermont, Florida, April 10, 2008 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww If you take a slow plane ride over Cavite, Batangas, Bulacan, Pampanga, etc. you will notice how fast we converted rich farmlands into low rise housing, golf courses, factories, malls, etc. You wonder why we have to import even vegetables and fruits. We should emulate the likes of Singapore and Hon Kong and build high rises for our people instead of sprawling low rise, inefficient houses. On the energy side, you are so right when you enumerate the negatives of bio-fuels. Our country has a lot of potential in solar, wind and tidal energy that can be developed and really produce clean energy. When you have to burn a fuel to produce energy, the products of combustion are what add up to carbon dioxide and other harmful emissions. Your mention of the Tokyo Olympics brought some pleasant memories- Rhodesia, now Zimbabwe, East and West Germany now as one, USSR now broken up etc- Oh so long ago! Ben Lim, (by email), Makati City, April 10, 2008 Manager, Philippine Yachting Team, 1964 Tokyo Olympics wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Dear Kuya Tony C. Abaya, This is a dark impending scenario. Population explosion in the Philippines! Would the Church imagine that the Philippines is already 1 Billion in population? The world is already 100 Billion in population? Personally, the policy of the Catholic Church on no birth control is 2000 years old obsolete! I just don't know why they cling to such idea on 'no birth control.' This is pure and simple cruelty and irrational. It has nothing to do with adoring Jesus Christ and worshipping God the Almighty and believing that the Church and the Pope are the foundation of belief in God. Third World countries where Catholicism is predominant specially in Latin American countries are over populated because of 'no birth control' policy. "Going to the world and multiply" as told to Noah cannot anymore be the correct instructions because at that time no earth was not so much populated. Unless the planet earth is doubly increased in size by a great miracle-performance, we the people throughout the planet must consider feeding ourselves etc. without much problem. But the way things are happening all around, this appears an impending impossible or very difficult task. I guess all walks of life, every leader of a country and including the Churches must start being sensible and with utmost due consideration on acceptable population control without being immoral at all begin to help families-to-be to have family planning. Not to do so, we will all be actually killing ourselves in order to survive this planet earth. Thank you. God bless you. Leona Guera, (by email), Australia, April 10, 2008 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Dear Tony, The problem with the way the country is being managed could be summed up this way:. too many people who eat too much rice; too many cars and buses that do not burn fuel efficiently and too many politicians with sticky hands and well manicured nails. Pilipino patience seemed to be in abundance but wait until food and water shortage become real and people start fighting for a grain of rice and begin trading their diamonds for a drop of H20.. Dr. Nestor P. Baylan, (by email), New York City, April 10, 2008 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Hi Tony Please see below the fallacy of the argument "its the overpopulation STUPID" Our government has no population program to speak of and I submit we are now depopulating, to wit.. 1) 10 million OFW's of about 40 million child "making" age are not ..2) marrying age has been further postponed from mid 20's to after 30's. Who is "cooking" the numbers?? Is there not enough learning from Spain and other countries who have reversed? China is now seriously studying moving the 1 child policy to 2. Its graft, corruption and greed that punishes our country. Thanks Eric Manalang, (by email), April 10, 2008 Ang Kapatiran Party (There's graft, greed and corruption in both Thailand and the Philippines. But how do you explain 89 million Filipinos and 65 million Thais in 2007, when there were only 45 million each in the 1970s? ACA) wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Once again, the tragedy of shortsighted "thinking" of people in power - as far back as the early 60's population control in the Philippines was already an issue which still continues to be ignored, either from fear of retribution by the dinosaurs in the Vatican or just plain ignorance of basic economics. And who suffers most? Certainly no one who can afford to buy rice. The Thai program of birth control is very open, successfully promoted by community volunteers and is a step in helping not only their country but also, if all countries followed likewise, sustainabililty for the planet. Cayo Marschner, (by email), Moraga, CA, April 10, 2008 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Hello, Tony, Well written, however, you failed to include the unrestricted conversion of our farmlands into residential subdivisions (particularly, I look with alarm at the vast track of farmland along South Expressway, from Cabuyao to Silangan exits, which is being converted into a mixed-use area, and being advertised as Eton City). Why can't we follow the example of Singapore where high rise condominium units are constructed for the city people? This saves our arable farmland, while reducing travel time from home to work. Maybe Noli de Castro can look into this aspect, being the Housing Czar. I also think that the concept of importing rice and selling it at subsidized prices is self-defeating. We are helping the agriculture industry of other countries, while hastening the death of ours. I think the better way to use the funds is to increase the farmgate price of palay to an amount HIGHER than the prevailing buying price. Why higher, so that the farmer will sell his palay to the NFA. Then sell the rice at subsidized prices. If properly implemented, this will mean the end of the rice hoarders. My father, who is a farmer, told me that for him break even, he has to produce at least 80 cavans of palay in one hectare per cropping. Without taking into consideration such factors like typhoons, extended droughts and rains, the main reasons for low rice yields are lack of fertilizer, poor seed selection, and poor pest control. If through increased farmgate prices we can increase the farmer's income, he will have more money to spend for fertilizers, seed, and pesticides, which will also translate to higher crop yields. Theoretically, with greater income, the farmer will be encouraged to produce more rice, and hang on to his farmland instead of selling it to the property developer. Thanks and more power. Bong L. Alba, (by email), April 10, 2008 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Tony: Yes, thanks for recognizing my advocacy... our advocacy, which came around four months at least too early. I filed on December 11, 2007 my House Resolution asking for a review of the country's bio-fuels policy and program and in fact, on December 12, 2007, in the Malaca�ang LEDAC meeting, I engaged Senator Zubiri in an abbreviated but telling debate where I think I was able to drive home some points, on the LEDAC record at that. When one pours billions of pesos of scarce resources including hundreds of thousands or even millions of hectares of land for bio-fuels, for hopefully something that at best would provide only 5-10% of our transport fuel requirements, and in exchange trade off resources for food production, that did not seem like a prudent proposition to me. Like you, I warned about more carbon emissions and jeopardizing food security (those are all in my House Resolution). Sadly, there is no word yet from Malaca�ang on reversing our bio-fuels program. UK, Germany, India and others have already reversed engines, seeing early the warning signs. I do hope Malaca�ang reconsiders. But then again, I understand there's a lot of money on those bio-diesel and bio-ethanol plants to be acquired. The money, my friend, may not be in the ethanol and bio-diesel trade but upfront in the equipment acquisition. Roy Roilo Golez, (by email), Paranaque City, April 10, 2008 Congressman, Paranaque wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Hi Tony! I don't think Biofuels and the production of Food should compete with each other. The Time and Newsweek article spoke of "that" problem in the US because they are using corn - a food and feed product for ethanol - for energy. That is entirely different from our situation because we have so much land � are you saying we have more land than the US? ACA -(more than 3M according the estimates 2 years ago) which we can plant to sugarcane for the production of Ethanol. Why sugar? Because sugarcane gives the highest and most economical yield for ethanol. There are areas in Mindanao without sugar centrals but which lands can be planted to sugarcane for ethanol. And with our sugar surplus, we can always covert the sugarcane for sugar to ethanol to reduce surplus. (But if we convert Mindanao's rice lands to sugar, where do we grow rice, and what happens to rice self-sufficiency? ACA). I have been a technician working for a multi-national company in Negros doing the rounds for more than 5 years until my transfer here in Changmai. The main culprit in the reduction of food supply from agriculture as per my experience is CARP. For so long as our concept of CARP is giving lands away to the landless and expect these lands to be productive without the proper support - financial, managerial and educational, we will have problems producing food. We have so much fertile land that are just going to waste! Food and Bio-fuel can work hand in hand complimenting each other. Gerry Delgado, (by email), Changmai, Thailand, April 10, 2008 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Tony, I just wonder how you can continuously trash the Catholic Church in a predominantly Catholic country? Would you dare do the same, trash Islam, when you are, say, in Indonesia? Use of artificial birth control methods is believed to be a sin by the forgiving Church, yet you gloat when tax money majority of which was contributed by Catholics are used to buy condoms! How disrespectful can you be? Sef Dudeo, (by email), California, April 10, 2008 (In the 2008 World Almanac and Book of Facts, the following countries with majority or plurality Roman Catholic inhabitants had population growth rates as follows: Hungary negative 0.34 percent; Lithuania negative 0.22; Italy negative 0.20; Croatia negative 0.19; Czech Republic negative 0.17; Slovenia negative 0.14; Austria negative 0.12; Belgium negative 0.003; Poland zero; Portugal .003; Spain 0.02; Switzerland 0.12; Slovakia 0.12; the Netherlands 0.20; Canada 0.29; Cuba 0.43; Australia 0.45; France 0.45; Uruguay 0.53; Argentina 0.90; Chile 0.92; Brazil 1.01. Countries with large Roman Catholic minorities had the following growth rates: Germany, 34% Roman Catholic, negative 0.25; United Kingdom, 12% RC, 0.06; United States, 24% RC, 0.59. Compared to which the Philippines' 1.91% population growth rate is scandalous, disgraceful and irresponsible, and not worthy of the least respect. (It is obvious that hundreds of millions of Roman Catholics around the world use artificial methods of birth control even if the forgiving Church says it is a sin to do so. ACA) wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Hi Tony, i most appreciate your concern on the way things are going on with the rice "Crisis" here in our bountiful country. I guess you may be cautious in the way our government, and maybe politicians, on that matter, on the way they are handling the situation. Sad to say, i have heard that there are employees of the NFA who seem to take advantage of this situation... meaning they don't deliver to their authorized retailers unless their retailers pay additional amount , say..php50.00-php80.00 per sack. Indeed, i should say that the NFA administrators should be investigated for this "crisis". There are plenty of rice and palays in the NFA warehouses, but some, or many of there employees are selling the rice to big time businessmen who repacks, or mix the NFA rice with commercial rice..and thereby increasing the price of rice. What happens if the government imports rice? Are there assurances that the rice reaches our people at reasonable prices? Are there controls that are in place to ensure the delivery of proper delivery of NFA rice to our people? Perhaps, NFA should be made accountable for this crisis. Why ask the people to eat less or have a program for half rice when our countrymen needed more rice to satisfy their hunger? If our Government and our politicians are really sincere in helping us in the so-called Crisis which may have been initiated by hoarders, and some unscrupolous NFA personnel, our Government should ran after these hoarders and unpatriotic NFA personnel and charge them with ECONOMIC sabotage. COA can be mobilized to check inventories, and volume deliveries to traders by NFA. If they have the will to ran after these crooks, who are economic saboteurs, our Government have all the resources. Importation is not the solution. It may even aggravate our agri problem! Hindi ba may IRRI tayo? May organic fertilizer pa, at may mga subsidy pa, besides the continuous program for dessiminating improved agriculture practices to our farmers? Tony, am just an ordinary retired employee with pain in my pocket whenever I buy basic commodities at prices getting higher.. with the knowledge that the increased costs are due to corrupt practices of some NFA employees, and hoarders, and that Government cannot accept this fact. Being a senior citizen, I don't even have a discount on rice, eggs, and on healthy oat meals and milk. Hopefully, our government and politicians could come out with the real causes of our predicaments and problems in our Country. And with their sincere and honest promise to serve our people, and country, they could implement viable solutions. Best regards, Tony, and more power to your articles! Avelino Lagman, Jr., (by email), April 11, 2008 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Hi Tony, I think there is another or hidden reason behind the announcement of the GMA government of the rice crisis. Take note that this crisis is world wide proportion, so they claim and has been going on for a long time. Then how come that they just announce it lately? Your guess is as good as mine. Thanks again and more power. Bert Celera, (by email), April 11, 2008 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww I don't believe GMA is in panic, not for the reason that starving voters mean the defeat for the incumbents in the 2010 elections. Whether or not she runs for re-election is not even the issue than her continued survival in office. If she does not act as what she is doing now, the crisis she will face is the prospect that a hungry nation can easily turn into an unstoppable angry mob that can drive her out of Malacanang on short notice. It's very easy to appease angry people, even lull them back to complacency, but not when they are starving. Cesar M. de los Reyes, (by email), April 11, 2008 (April 11 update: President Arroyo has just announced that her government will soon give out P500 cash each to about 10,000 families in Abra and Apayao. Either another panic measure, or another astute political move to buy their votes in 2010, or both. ACA) wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Thanks for the article. You remind me of the restaurant I ate at in Bangkok and a book I read; "From Condoms to Cabbages," An Authorized Biography of Mechai Viravaidya, by Thomnas D'Agnes. In Thailand a condom is called a "Mechai". Mechai Viravaidya has used this contraceptive device to promote family planning and later as a preventive measure against HIV/Aids. But there's more to this man than condoms and birth control. This book provides many fascinating insights about the man who represents a juxtaposition of East and West. It shows how he has used social marketing, wits and charisma to good effect in his relentless quest to improve the livelihood of the poor. It explains why Mechai has been labeled a visionary iconoclast and cheerful revolutionary all the way through his working life. Thomas D'Agnes spent 22 years living in Thailand, Indonesia, the Philippines, and Laos working in family planning and public health. He worked with Mechai at the Population and Community Development Association (PDA) in Thailand from 1978-82. He currently teaches at the University of Southern California International Public Policy and Management Program. Gloria Lilly, (by email), April 12, 2008 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Re: converting farmlands into these bio-fuel plantations. That is very stupid. Why do they convert farmlands into these biofuel plantations knowing the uncontrolled population we have? Jathropa can grow to any soil. Isn't it part of this study? Does it mean that our statisticians are stupid? That's very simple but important Hi Ho stuffs. They should have 2 parallel studies: 1) Biofuel 2)Hydrogen. and pick the one that is cost-effective, no disruption on consumption stuffs, job-generation, etc. . Yes, sad to say. Filipino agriculturists were the teachers of these countries who supply us the rice.. It's a slap in the face.. By the way, I saw a documentary about a floating farm in Myanmar. It's pretty interesting. we should come up with some alternative stuffs like that. But then again, politicians are just focusing on smearing any politicians (and any government) while priming their own. NPA's burning of the truckloads of rice - NICE WORK, COMRADES!!! PRO-POOR GROUP, RIGHT???? Bunch of witches!!! Another gang ring!!! I'm glad that they finally push for population control. It's better late than never. LF, [email protected], , April 12, 2008 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww A QUICK RESPONSE: You called a "spade a spade" once again, Tony. It is hard not to be frustrated with all the wasted opportunity. But a short note on bio-fuels - Yes, the US model on using corn (4x less energy produced, high usage of oil for production, consequently the most expensive crop for bio-ethanol production, etc.) is a disaster and actually caused the prices of corn to increase. Yes, the burning of forests for palm plantations is a disaster � although palm is now not a preferred bio-diesel crop as it is just selling too well for its other oil based uses. Or the burning of forests in Brazil for sugar and soya.... In the Philippines, bio-fuels have yet to even nick the economic horizon or put a dent in food production. There is little, if any, real dedicated bio-fuels plantations aside from a few nurseries. In the meantime, we have over 2,000,000 hectares of denuded, idle lands that no one is investing in. I think there is a sustainable way of going about this (without counting on our government's abilities): investors in bio-fuels will need to dedicate large swathes of land and their financial resources to create large cooperative farms for additional revenues for small (and 99% poverty stricken) farm owners and their families - and profits for the bio-fuel companies (aside from the PR and food creation value, there has to be a motivating profit element for investors). Our agricultural sector has hardly any economies of scale...or the funds to generate economies of scale. Bio-fuels, if managed responsibly by the corporate owners, can actually help solve the food crisis � and reduce our reliance on foreign oil, and put unproductive land to work. Thanks.... Dondi Joseph, (by email), April 12, 2008 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww (Copy furnished) Hi Jovi: Thanks for the article. Clearly there are arguments on both sides of the fence for and in favor of bio fuels. I don't know who Antonio Abaya is, but it appears that he has a number of hang-ups with the federal government. There are many in America with the same outlook. In direct response to Abaya's statements, here is what I know about Jatropha: 1. The amount of carbon dioxide resulting from burning Jatropha bio fuel is equal to the amount of carbon dioxide it produces into the air, as a plant. So zero sum balance. 2. True, other countries like Brazil, Guatemala and others are wiping out forested lands (with large trees on them, which provide oxygen) to plant palm trees for palm oil (a bio feedstock). 3. Philippines has the opportunity to prevent that through the enforcement of laws. 4. Our Jatropha farms are being created on lands that produce nothing at the moment. 5. We do not substitute farm crops for Jatropha. 6. Philippines is dependent on imported oil. 7. The cost of imported oil is determined by a very small committee of very wealthy Arabs, who rely on the world's consumption of its oil. 8. Thus far, it does not appear that the world has much of a choice on deciding which fuel to use. 9. Jatropha is but one feed stock that can be farmed in the Philippines, the result of which will be: a. Create an industry that now does not exist b. Reward those individuals who will seize the opportunity and who are willing to work for their wealth. c. Reduce the dependency on imported oil in a small measure to begin with but to arrive at a tipping point where its impact forces the reduction of costs of imported oil. 10. Bio fuel is not the solution to the world's energy crisis�.there is no one solution. 11. Instead of criticizing the bio fuel initiative, and looking for reasons why it will not work, people should look for reasons and ways to make it work. And finally, with that said and considering how little I know about the subject, imagine what can be done with those who really know about it. Chief Bob Awana, (by email), Hawaii, April 13, 2008 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Dear Tony, Below is the comment of another person that I respect and trust when it comes to bio-fuels. Regards, Jerry Quibilan, (by email), April 14, 2008 Enrie Mendoza <[email protected]> wrote: Date: Sun, 13 Apr 2008 07:19:13 -0700 (PDT) From: Enrie Mendoza <[email protected]> Subject: Re: Let Them Eat Biofuels To: jerry quibilan <[email protected]> Dear Uncle Jer; Biofuels should never be interpreted as the principal major premise to solve energy sufficiency -when the scientists advised certain appropriate feedstocks that may be utilized for renewable energy. In actual reality, the predominant logical alternative source of clean energy evolves from the endless, natural, renewable, indigenous energy of ions and hydrogen providing incessant free-energy that never competes with food and land, or engenders incompatibillity with environmental, social, economic, political or religious concerns. This free energy emanates either from the replicative ions' behaviour from the core of the sun; or the magnetic field confluence of the critical mass of electrons in perpetual motion, or from the HHO (2 hydrogen+1 oxygen) of the ocean, rivers or surplus run-off rainwater/flood. Hence, no need of fuel, be it bio- or fossilized. Both are impositions of the transnational corporations to the Philippine archipelago- a country rich in water and ions from the sun! Atqui, uncle Jer ( as my German professor in metaphysics used to say)- never conclude from one major premise based on a natural-physical level, then draw an implied result for an economic, or worse socio-cultural level! And worst, from a natural phenomenon of plant behaviour, to a preposterous conclusion at a politicial level!!! How moronic and educable such self-proclaimed leaders in the realm of science and philosophy/metaphysics when their level is purely the art of compromisibg legalese superstitions!!! When this free energy is harnessed via science and technology, then grain/starch sufficiency sets doable targets in productivity from rice, corn, sorghum, wheat. rootcrops, breadfruit, saba, and other alternative flour feedstocks- taken as a holistic approach to curb hunger, malnutrition and carbohydrate-inadequacy, thereby resulting to keeping pace or even overtaking the population growth rate, be you a Catholic or Protestant or otherwise advocate on responsible-parenthood on the use of natural or synthetic birth-control method. The actual issue is not insufficiency in rice or energy- but an increasing perennial squatter population growth rate in a limited urban residential land use and decreasing farmland for balanced food productivity- transformed into residential real estate or industrial/commercial land use. Cheers! Enrie Mendoza (Jerry: your nephew and I share similar views on a) hydrogen as the ideal energy of the future; and b) the matter of population as our underlying problem. My articles on hydrogen and population can be accessed in www.tapatt.org. ACA) wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Dear Mr. Abaya, Other than TIME, Rolling Stone magazine on its Aug 9, 2007 issue also covered the ETHANOL SCAM. According to investigative journalist Jeff Goodell, the biggest problem with ethanol is that it steals vast swaths of land that might be better used for growing food. As a gasoline substitute it fairs poorly. Its energy density is one third less than that of gasoline, which means you have to burn more of it to get the same amount of power. Goodell adds that when it comes to alternatives to cheap oil, the cure is worse than the disease. The harsh truth is that there are no alternatives to cheap oil--the future is about smarter ways to live with less oil, not dumber ways to perpetuate mindless consumption. Auggie Surtida, (by email), Tigbauan, Iloilo, April 16, 2008 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww NOTE: For the past four days, my incoming and outgoing emails thru zpdee.net have been blocked by person or persons unknown, for reasons not clear to me. My website at www.tapatt.org was also blocked, so that I could not update it, and no one could access it. Access was restored only at 3:37 am today, April 20. The host server, Yahoo Geocities, apologized for the 48-hour embargo, but gave no explanation.. NOTE: Transmissions to yahoo.com and mydestiny.net addresses are being delayed or blocked by the servers for one reason or another. If you are experiencing such delays and blocking, we suggest you move to a hotmail or a gmail address. To subscribe, send a blank email with the subject heading Subscribe. 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