BBM2 (Bagong Bayaning Magsasaka) – Defeating Farmer Poverty, Simultaneously Defeating Climate Change!

I am thinking of both President Ferdinand “BBM” Marcos Jr and the millions of Philippine farmers and am successfully combining the celebration of the 65^th year of birth of BBM and his being a hero to the millions of Filipino farmers. I assure you, BBM Sir – easy does it!

As Secretary of Agriculture, in my view, BBM Sir, you can be at least a 65% hero by spending 65% of the budget for fertilizer subsidy of the Department of Agriculture (DA) on organic fertilizers and only 35% on chemical fertilizer imports. The DA budget for fertilizer subsidy is P 27 Billion – 65/35 would equal P17.5 Billion for organic fertilizers and P9.5 Billion for chemical fertilizers. Since the organic fertilizers would be made locally, the economic returns will be locally received. (If you spent 100% of that fertilizer subsidy budget on local organic fertilizers instead of importing chemical fertilizers, you would be our 100% hero!) Whatever, you would be a double hero: 1 Samson vs 2 Goliaths. Thus:

Modern Samson fighting Farmer Poverty.
BBM Sir, organic fertilizers are much, much cheaper and, therefore, will decrease much the cost of farming, and will increase much the net returns of farming! Total Revenues minus Total Costs equals Net Returns, yes? Ergo, farmers who farm more will be rewarded more. P20/kg rice? No problem!

I don’t know why our local experts (PhilRice), not to mention the international experts (IRRI), have not experimented on organic fertilizers in lieu of chemical fertilizers – thinking habits die hard? (I cannot say that they know nothing about organic agriculture – which was practiced already in ancient times.)

Modern Samson fighting Climate Change.
BBM Sir, may I reiterate that the use of organic fertilizers instead of chemical fertilizers is good for the environment because organic agriculture reduces to zero farming’s contribution to the generation of greenhouse gases (GHGs), which in turn generate Climate Change?

Another way of looking at it is that organic agriculture is healthy many times over:

1.     Healthy for soils. Organic fertilizers return to the soil its natural wealth, which comprises of degrading once-living matter, microorganisms like nitrogen-producing bacteria, macroorganisms like worms and bugs that further enrich the soil.

2.     Healthy for crops & animals. The natural nutrients that come from the organic fertilizers cause the growing of healthy crops on which animals feed.

3.     Healthy for foods. The healthy crops bear grow leaves & stems and bear fruits, and they are what we humans eat.

4.     Healthy for people. The healthy foods are what farmers sell to consumers.

5.     Healthy for villages. The absence of chemical fertilizers that generate GHGs is healthy for the villages because there is no further Climate Change!

Now then, BBM Sir, if you become our Hero President, we will automatically have farmer heroes – Bagong Bayaning Magsasaka (BBM²). We will have millions of BBM², without sacrificing their lives, simply because with their practice of organic agriculture, they will defeat their own enemy called Poverty and our common enemy called Climate Change!
“Farmer Heroes” from saad.da.gov.ph)

Happy Birthday, Mr President!@517