Agrarian Reform

Farming and Gardening

First part written on February 29, 2008:

Yesterday I sat through two talks on Agrarian Reform. I was depressed the whole day. Heard two other classmates– a French and American– getting all riled up over the issue: they were so upset, to the point of rage even.

  • Many peasant revolts in history were triggered not by ideology but by claims on land
  • 30M hectares total land area in the Philippines, 10.1M hectares classified as agricultural land (used for farming)
  • Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program was drafted to distribute agri land to farmers
  • A heavily-edited CARP was passed under Cory’s term, with glaring (i.e. self-serving) conditions: applicable to rice and cornfields only
  • From the time of the prayle until today, who has made up government? Landowners
  • Landowners will protect their own
  • CARP, although flawed to begin with, has had gains–improved lives, etc.
  • But with no SUPPORT SERVICES for the beneficiaries (ex. credit line), it’s been very frustrating for all– the farmers, advocates of CARP, landowners
  • The Ramos administration has distributed the most land so far, but it was also FVR’s Philippines 2000 campaign that rezoned most of the covered agri lands to industrial/residential/tourism lands, making them exempted from CARP
  • Come June 2008, Congress will have to decide whether to extend CARP for another 10 years
    • landowners will vote no
    • leftists will vote no– in favor of a complete overhaul of the program (ex. immediate confiscation of land)
  • Should we be pushing for a YES?
    • Is land redistribution really the answer?
    • Agrarian reform programs in Japan, Taiwan, Korea worked. Common denominators?
      • they were swiftly implemented (under 3 years) vs. the Philippine program: it’s been 20 years and we’re still at it
      • done under an authoritarian regime vs. the Philippine way: democracy –there are too many people to please!
    • We had a real shot at it under Cory’s revolutionary government, but well, what great surprise, no real CARP happened, and her family’s Hacienda Luisita got a safe spot on the exemption list

Update (March 31, 2008):
I went to Bicol over Holy Week, where as a child I remember my parents would point to ricefields along the road and say, “Your lolo lost that land to land reform” or “Your tito‘s dad had a heart attack when government took that property.”

When I sat through those talks on land reform last Feb., I felt not just sad, but slightly defensive– landowners aren’t that bad. They couldn’t be. We’re also landowners (although our landholdings are relatively puny). And I have friends who are also landed, and their families aren’t evil.

From the talks, I also got the impression that real estate developers were the “bad guys” in the land reform issue. But being in a family engaged in real estate, I grew up with a bit more compassion for developers than my peers. As my dad always says in frustration, in the Philippines, it’s the private sector that often initiates development. Government won’t go out of its way to single out a piece of rawland, build roads and provisions for utilities, and then invite private groups to “develop” it for public consumption (ex. transform it into a business or residential district). It works the other way around. Add to that the red tape and bad business practices that are sure to turn off any lukewarm investor. Bottomline, you have to hand it to developers, or to some of them at least.

Is land reform an economic problem or is it also a morality issue? At the end of the talk, a friend and I talked about what we thought was the end goal of land reform and what motivated its advocates, and decided for ourselves that more than anything, it’s justice that they’re fighting for. Equitable distribution of wealth. Principle first (quite possibly because it’s their only recourse), practicality later.

Mixing morals with economics? Hmmm… I just attended a lecture by Prof. Randy David and Nicanor Perlas on “Transforming a Damaged Culture” last Friday, March 28, where it was brought up that the path to modernity is in NOT MIXING the different spheres in society… more on that later.

My take on it: I’m not making big claims on the land reform issue, especially after just two informal lectures on it, but I don’t think I can push for land reform if there are no real solutions to making it economically viable for farmer beneficiaries. What will they do with land they own but have no means of exploiting? Not to say that I’m all for idle lands in the hands of the elite. In an ideal setting, motto would be “Basta everybody happy.” This land problem involves matters outside of our individual capacities to address and is perhaps one issue (of many) that really does require the role of government as an authoritative institution to mediate or be the main actor (meaning it’s not just up to civil society or NGOs to make changes).

As individual Pinoys, can we also contribute something concrete? Is it enough to say “I’m minding my own business and I’m not stepping on anyone’s toes”? Small positive steps would perhaps be to be more scrupulous in our real estate investments. Do background checks, hold landowners accountable for how they exploit their lands… Also spread the word, open eyes and pay attention to what’s happening.

Looking at that list again makes me think that yes, these are good, “noble” things that one does when the sun shines. Meaning on a good day. One can think outside of the self and actually sincerely pro-actively reach out his hand.

What’s an everyday thing we can do, and do NOW? We are entitled (and actually obligated) to grow our assets, which include land/property among other great things like talent, relationships, etc. It’s in having wealth that we are able to share it and help others. Focus should be on wealth creation, which does cover wealth of mind, body and dignity. Just think better, all the time. Instead of “There’s so much poverty in the Philippines”, we can greet our mornings with ” What can I do today that will add to the richness already around me?” We can’t ignore that problems exist, but we don’t have to be sucked dry from feeling depressed over them. Again, make room for or spend energies only on creative ideas, everyday. (I’ve been reading “The Secret” again, you should too \":P\" )

Related:
Real estate and land reform – short post about which Philippine developer I’m betting on

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biking in the city

Sustainable Living,

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Picture from Hello Kitty Hell

Yesterday a friend told me he just bought a bike. As in a bicycle.

My immediate reaction was, “Wow, joining the bandwagon.” But thinking about it now, it does make sense, and is actually very laudable– committing to a bicycle (he said he’ll use it when he goes on quick errands, plays tennis, visits friends nearby).

Last year, biking became the new “in” thing among a group of boys I know, and I sat in amazement at their dedication to it. What started off as weekend trails in the mountains has now grown into weekday love affairs with pavement, pollution, and those stick horses on wheels (think 6-hour “expeditions” from Ortigas to the Antipolo mountains from 5pm-11pm on a workday!).

First heard about biking as an actual sport (fitness-social lifestyle) in late 2006 when I met extreme sports fanatics (note: I find wall climbing “extreme”, i.e. non-traditional, and in some real sense, dangerous) who biked in the Bicol mountains for fun. Asked if it was safe, they plainly answered, “You can die if you fall off a cliff.” Hmmmm…

In Madrid, I had a French classmate who biked almost everyday. I asked him if Madrid was a bicycle-friendly city, and if I remember right, he said it was not, at least not as much as Paris was (or was it the other way around?). In my third-world eyes, it was waaaaaaaaaaaay friendlier than Manila could ever be.

Can biking be integrated into daily life in Manila?

Back in 2004, I made plans to meet up with another good friend, Noelle, for after-dinner coffee. Her main requirement was for the venue to have something she could chain her bike to (she’s an athlete by lifestyle and was one of the three Pinays who climbed Everest). I found that endearing then, quite an unusual request, but it never occurred to me to even entertain having the “everyday biker” mindset as my own.

The last time I vividly remember riding a bike outdoors (i.e. not in the gym) was when I was 14 and eager to canvas the boys in my neighborhood. Fifteen hit and along with it that magical “student permit” to drive, so naturally, byebye bike.

I’d trust Urbano dela Cruz to come up with a real answer to the biking feasibility question. I have yet to read his take on this properly, I’m pretty sure he’s already gotten comprehensive about biking in Manila. In any case, did a quick search on his blog for “bicycle” just now. You can read his bike-related posts here.

My thoughts: We all can do our share in having “greener” lifestyles… biking is a possibility, and as my friends have shown, it’s already a possibility NOW. Personally, I can see myself biking in the greater area around my community, as long as I don’t have to cross major streets (Ortigas Ave., C-5, Katipunan). Without designated bike lanes, I’d probably just stare at cars passing by, fearing for my life on the sidewalk.

Interesting links I found on google:
– Recreational Bike route in the Philippines from bikely.com
– Manila Times editorial by Ernesto Herrera, “The not-so-lowly bicycle” (Jan. 16, 2008): with little info on Marikina’s successful bike campaign
– Philippine bicycle hunt written by a Canadian writer and art history major as instructions on how to buy a used bike in Manila (July 2007)
– Clean Air Initiative for Asian Cities’ ADB Forum on Improving Pedestrian Facilities and Bikeways in Metro Manila (Sept. 2005), with issues raised/discussed and PDF files of lectures/position papers
– 11 Most bike-friendly cities in the world found through trinainmanila, who says Japanese cities should’ve made the list.

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harvest year

Uncategorized

Every December 31st, it’s become a tradition for my brothers and I to stay up and wait for the first morning of the new year to arrive…

With weaker knees and less eager drinking this year came the realization that somehow, we’ve graduated from the usual revelry and fireworks.

Still, the first dawn of 2008 failed to disappoint:



The Fort, between 5:30-8:00am, January 1, 2008

2008 is going to be a great year. It’s HARVEST TIME..I feel it, so I hope you planted well in 2007 :))

HAPPY NEW YEAR, friends!

green grass of home

Sustainable Living

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There’s no doubting it– green is definitely in these days, what with most of us already getting firsthand accounts of the baaad effects of climate change. Al Gore’s vivid campaign is ruffling feathers, to say the least, and I’m both glad and wholly appreciative that even in the business sense, Pinoys are turning green.

Heard about AyalaLand’s new project in Canlubang, called Nuvali (from the Latin nuvo meaning “birth of a star”). Literally a “new valley” in the Sta. Rosa-Tagaytay area, it’s a 1,600-hectare megatownship development set for full bloom over the next 40 to 50 years. Eyed as the next Makati, its main thrust is 21st century technology meets back-to-basics harmony with nature. Think eco-friendly, ultra-modern sustainable living: clean lines, fluid designs, integrated zones (residential, business, services), and green green green everywhere.

My dad has always pointed out that in the Philippines, land development is generally in the hands of private/business groups, which themselves target areas for projects and take care of building the necessary roads and infrastructure. In other countries such as the US, it is the government that first develops a piece of land, after which it invites private investors to build and sell.

Being in the real estate business, I’m wary of companies out to profit on monster sales talks, but as I told friends, if there’s one company you can trust to deliver on its promise, especially for a project of this magnitude (expect it to shape future lifestyles!), it’s Ayala. Sure it’s still, first and foremost, a business, but I see nothing wrong with that. Hooray for that, I say: bring in money, circulate it to benefit more people, everybody happy!

The holistic vision for Nuvali is contagious and in my opinion, exactly what we want and need today. Our parents’ generation lived to fight for causes; our generation is living to enjoy (?) the fruits of their labor. “Doing the right thing” is not as much as a struggle as before, with social trends making it almost natural, automatic, expected. We are living in the “ever after”, in what comes after Sleeping Beauty wakes up.

Good news is we don’t have to wait so long to see this vision made manifest (even partially). Turnover for the project’s first residential lots is in mid 2009, but some areas will already be open to the public by next year, in April 2008. These include an iconic commercial and sales center reminiscent of Singapore’s new Harbour Front (or is it Vivo City? pic below taken last July) and an 8-hectare manmade lake with water buses and taxis.

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Coooool!

More on Nuvali here.

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$5B for energy efficient buildings

Green Design and Architecture Sustainable Living,

Buildings in 15 cities around the world are poised for an energy efficiency makeover under Clinton’s Climate Initiative Energy Efficiency Building Retrofit Program.

Raised from loans from five global banks — Citigroup, UBS, Deutsche Bank , ABN AMRO and JPMorgan Chase, the $5 billion budget for the project will be used to fund the overhauls of the buildings at no net cost, which “more than doubles the amount for energy-saving building retrofits”.

Also on board are energy service companies Honeywell, Johnson Controls, Siemens and Trane, owned by American Standard, which will boost capacity by permitting “large numbers of building make-overs” and will “financially guarantee energy savings from the projects”.

Participating cities are: New York, London, Tokyo, Bangkok, Johannesburg, Berlin, Chicago, Houston, Karachi, Melbourne, Mexico City, Rome, Sao Paulo, Seoul and Toronto. Governments have committed to “provide incentives for private building owners to become more energy efficient.”

Of the list of cities, I think Manila compares to Mexico City, Karachi, Sao Paulo in terms of necessity for such an overhaul.

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goodbye plastic

Sustainable Living

In six months, plastic grocery bags in San Francisco supermarkets, which total about 181 million each year, will be banned…and replaced by canvas bags. This will free American landfills from 1,400 tons of annual plastic debris.

I remember a similar movement in Manila when I was in grade school, which promoted shopping with one’s own bayong. Very “cute” concept (i.e. trendy, novel, fleeting, “worth a try”), but really, how practical is it to haul groceries in bags made of porous abaca fiber? In fairness, those Winnie the Pooh banig bags all over divisoria are sturdy…they just don’t look as “cute”…

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coastal populations at risk

Sustainable Living

A study which identified urban populations at greatest risk from rising sea levels and more intense storms due to climate change ranks the Philippines as 10th most susceptible:

The 10 countries with the largest number of people living in this vulnerable, low-elevation [coastal] zone [less than 10 metres above sea level], include in descending order: China, India, Bangladesh, Vietnam, Indonesia, Japan, Egypt, the United States, Thailand and the Philippines.

Brings to mind (again) Al Gore’s Inconvenient Truth which left me stunned the first time I watched it. Admittedly I owe that documentary another sit down, but one doesn’t easily forget the picture it painted of sunken megacities all over the world should global water levels rise.

A tinge of reassurance then that the above-study says that:

…sea levels are not expected to rise anywhere near the 10 metres of the low-elevation zone. The fourth Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report estimated that sea levels are likely to rise in the range of 22-34 centimetres between 1990 and the 2080s.

2080s. Okay. But no license to be complacent as “this level could be significantly higher with accelerated melting of the Greenland and polar ice sheets.”

What do we do? Three types of responses are recommended to address these risks: migration, mitigation and modification.

Where do you and I fit in there?

Source: IPS

UPDATE: Read in Reuters today that “better architecture and energy savings in buildings could do more to fight global warming than all curbs on greenhouse gases.” Meaning the way to fight the global warming behemoth is through small, consistent steps from each of us, and not so much via grandiose countrywide efforts to reduce fossil fuel emissions. The solution is literally in our hands!

Concrete tips we can all start doing NOW:

  • more blinds to keep out the sun in hot climates
  • switching to energy efficient lightbulbs
  • better insulation and ventilation
  • Avoid building a bigger house than you need
  • refurbish vs. demolish old buildings

According to UNEP Head Achim Steiner:

“The savings that can be made right now are potentially huge and the costs to implement them relatively low if sufficient numbers of governments, industries, businesses and consumers act.”

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openings

Everyday Life

“Openings come quickly, sometimes, like blue space in running clouds. A complete overcast, then a blaze of light….” –Tennessee Williams

The more we need to be watchful!

While it is necessary to have that clarity 1) that possibilities are endless, and 2) that we have all the time in the world to pursue them, there is also that urgency to be ready, exactly for those blue spaces in the sky…

In a conversation with a friend months ago, the idea of “missing one’s boat” was brought up. Either we don’t recognize it or we’re not ready to get on it when it comes..

How often do we wake up with the vigilance of being ready to be called for battle?

Whenever I read or watch epic movies like Lord of the Rings or Narnia, I get nostalgic about moments of impending glory (or doom), where BIG things are at stake, and there is seriousness in giving one’s all. When I was a kid I romanticized the wars of history, wishing (naively) for the same kinds of battles we learned about in school–bolo fights, guerilla tactics, hiding in caves, etc.

Do you ever think of what battle you were meant to fight?

Everyday, we’re all on a spiritual / transcendental battle– we yearn for deep joy, for answers to all our questions.. There’s also the battle for intimacy with the self…which many leave unfought…

Still, there is that one battle, assigned to us individually.. it is a practical one, concrete, of this world. And it is not a battle of light consequence: If we fail, back down from it, or worse, never realize it, the whole world becomes weak, broken… As Galadriel told Frodo:

“You are a Ring bearer, Frodo. To bear a Ring of power is to be alone. This task was appointed to you, and if you do not find a way, no one will.”

There may be just one boat for each of us, but I believe that we get a lot of prep time to practice. Many mini-boats–or openings–come our way, and everytime they do, we get the chance to build up the skill (and courage!) to get on them.

Friends, here’s to 2007 and to openings!

let us be disturbed: the earth is dying

Sustainable Living

I saw Inconvenient Truth last Tuesday, and still I’m hung over the news that the earth can literally die within our lifetime..

Nothing “new” about it actually– it’s common sense that nothing lasts forever, plus we’ve been told several times in college that we are quickly using up our non-renewable resources: air, water, land.

But that documentary hit me hard. When I quit government this year, a part of me really died– I just stopped thinking of bigger things. Things people would call “idealistic” (oh how I hate that label). All the frustration, and the overarching question whether one person can really make a difference– they just hit boiling point and I resigned to the idea that maybe there’s no point in pushing in that direction anymore..

Now here’s Al Gore, politician, man of power and considerable clout (even I admit to watching the film because of his direct hand in it)– making such an impassioned and personal statement: I want to save the earth. Will you stop and listen to what he has to say? The fact that he urges Americans not to buy American cars makes him more credible to me in an instant (I know squat about American politics)..

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more disturbance: let’s support pinoy

Sustainable Living

Still hung up (i.e. depressed) over Inconvenient Truth, I also sat through a talk of Alex Lacson last week. Young lawyer and author of 12 Little Things Every Filipino Can Do to Help Our Country — he is a simple man with a pleasing way about him, and also very “idealistic”. The very first “Thing” he discussed left me wanting to act, and act NOW: Support Filipino products.

Every peso spent on imported goods is one peso given in support of another country’s economy, not the Philippine economy. Every time we buy a blouse or dvd (oh no!) made in Bangkok or China, we are contributing to the bad business of local industries.

What to do? Alex Lacson recommends a 50-50 split between 1) supporting foreign investments and 2) economic nationalism. This will obviously require a lot of initial compromise (quality and value for money may need to take a backseat to plain belief in and support for the campaign), but it is what our industries need, perhaps to survive first, then improve and be competitive later on.

My dad always says that we are quick to call the Philippines an agricultural country, and yet we import most of our rice and cattle! I’m sure there are more complex theories on why the economy is the way it is, but on a personal level, this economic nationalism is something concrete that we can do, and do NOW.

Lacson said he started with changing the toothpaste of choice in his family (because one uses it three times a day, everyday). Colgate pulled out its manufacturing arm from the country and moved it to Thailand some time ago, so its products are no longer produced locally. Neither are Close up products. His household now boasts of pearly whites from Happee and Kumukutikutitap.

I asked where a list of all the Pinoy products which need Pinoy love and support can be found, and he indicated that one such compilation is in the works, c/o Cito Beltran and company. Right now what we can do is make the extra effort to read labels at the groceries, or ask our salesladies where whatever we are buying is made.

Why do I call this a disturbance? Because it is exactly that– we are called to ruffle our feathers, change our lifestyle, get inconvenienced. And the call is not coming from a plea– no one is begging or even persistently giving us a salestalk– we are simply being told how things are, we are being given the truth.

Sharing my favorite prayer below:

Disturb us, O Lord
when we are too well-pleased with ourselves
when our dreams have come true because we dreamed too little,
because we sailed too close to the shore.

Disturb us, O Lord
when with the abundance of things we possess,
we have lost our thirst for the water of life
when, having fallen in love with time,we have ceased to dream of eternity
and in our efforts to build a new earth,
we have allowed our vision of Heaven to grow dim.

Stir us, O Lord
to dare more boldly,
to venture into wider seas where storms show Thy mastery,
where losing sight of land, we shall find the stars.

In the name of Him who pushed back the horizons of our hopes
and invited the brave to follow. Amen.

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An Inconvenient Truth: A Global Warning

Sustainable Living

DID YOU KNOW THAT…

We have just ten years to avert a major catastrophe that could send our entire planet into a tail-spin of epic destruction involving extreme weather, floods, droughts, epidemics and killer heat waves beyond anything we have ever experienced.

?

Ten years is not far away at all. Many of us, myself included, dismiss promptings for environmental action because we don’t fully grasp its urgency. We say:

  1. it’s never going to affect us directly (we may be a poor country, but we are rich–maybe too rich–in natural resources);
  2. there are much more immediate concerns to worry about: money, relationships, work, food, vacations.
  3. seems there are enough people worrying about the Earth as it is–better to let those will less problems worry about the environment.

Although it does make sense to contain ourselves in our private little worlds–especially if we need a break from the everyday chaos that is Manila–it IS our business to worry about how our physical world is changing (and for the worse at that).

Example: It’s nearly December and yet almost everyday I hear someone complain about the heat in Manila.

Last week I got invites to the screening of An Inconvenient Truth. After reading up on it tonight, I regret not making the extra effort to attend.

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Taglined, “By far the most terrifying film you will ever see,” An Inconvenient Truth is a “passionate” documentary on global warming:

From director Davis Guggenheim comes the Sundance Film Festival hit, AN INCONVENIENT TRUTH, which offers a passionate and inspirational look at one man’s fervent crusade to halt global warming’s deadly progress in its tracks by exposing the myths and misconceptions that surround it. That man is former Vice President Al Gore, who, in the wake of defeat in the 2000 election, re-set the course of his life to focus on a last-ditch, all-out effort to help save the planet from irrevocable change.

…Interspersed with the bracing facts and future predictions is the story of Gore’s personal journey: from an idealistic college student who first saw a massive environmental crisis looming; to a young Senator facing a harrowing family tragedy that altered his perspective, to the man who almost became President but instead returned to the most important cause of his life – convinced that there is still time to make a difference.

Longtime film critic Ebert says:

In 39 years, I have never written these words in a movie review, but here they are: You owe it to yourself to see this film. If you do not, and you have grandchildren, you should explain to them why you decided not to.

The truth hurts, but as they say, AIT “is not a story of despair but rather a rallying cry to protect the one earth we all share.” Its message is one of hope–we CAN do something about it, but we must do it NOW:

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Supported by WWF Philippines (WorldWideFund for Nature), you can still catch AIT in theaters nationwide, with the latest schedule in Manila, Cebu and Clark as follows:

* Nov 21 (Tuesday) – Press Screening w/ panel, Mall of Asia (c/o WWF)
* Nov 22 to 28 – SM Mall of Asia & SM Megamall
* Nov 29 and Dec 5 -The Block (SM North Edsa) & SM Southmall
* Dec 6 to 12 – SM Fairview & SM Manila
* Dec 13 to 19 – SM Centerpoint & SM San Lazaro
* Dec 20 to 24 – SM Cebu & SM Clark
* Jan 8 onwards – TBA

More on global warming here.

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