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Did the University of the Philippines learn from that and mend her ways? Well, UP is 100 years old next year and
you can’t teach old dogs new tricks. Still, UP has to make a paradigm shift in order for her to be able to teach
herself. A new University charter is only a makeover, not a fundamental change. It’s the attitude, not the altitude.
Poor soils? The wise use of
inorganic and organic
fertilizers is not enough. The
soils have to be conserved,
and at little cost to farmers
and with little disturbance of
the cycle of life and death. If
you get from the soil (crops)
but don’t give back (crop
refuse), you’re a robber, and
you know about robbers –
only Judas not pay.
It’s easy to borrow and difficult to pay.
Consider: Is UP a champion of the poor? If so, it should be anti-poor.
Now, how do we measure whether this University, or any University for
that matter, is anti-poor? Allow me to submit my own biased list as
follows; so I ask if the University does address:
Poor farmers? Too many farmers are mendicants, sorry to say. I know,
been there, done that. I’m a farmer’s son, and I stopped for 2 years
before college to work the stone-dry hard clods of soil in our bangkag
(rainfed farm for vegetables) by the Agno River in Asingan, Pangasinan,
and the weeds and mud in our talon (irrigated field for rice). UP professors
talk about self-sufficiency, but talk is not enough.
Poor soils? The wise use of inorganic and organic fertilizers is not
enough. The soils have to be conserved, and at little cost to farmers
and with little disturbance of the cycle of life and death. If you get from
the soil (crops) but don’t give back (crop refuse), you’re a robber, and
you know about robbers – only Judas not pay.
Poor access to credit? Many have been flashes in the pan, fire flashes
in the field (ningas cogon). Why can’t I read of hundreds of UP projects
that continue to this day by virtue of well-supervised credit schemes?
Poor access to information? The information scientists give to farmers is mostly technical, a language that only
the experts understand. If you don’t believe me, click on any Philippine-based website featuring a knowledge
bank now.
Poor markets? If I harvest much and get only so much for my labors, what good is farming to me? It’s only a
survival kit – for me to survive, not prosper.
Poor distribution of the benefits of labor? A good scheme for this is the farming cooperative. Is UP for cooperatives?
I know UP to be un-cooperative!
Poor educational services? Is UP interested in rooting out those who don’t know how to teach and know only to
terrorize their students? One or two even brag about failing everyone.
The Academe As Anti-Poor