Ciudad de Makati – The Luzon Island group has always fascinated me. The toponym “Luzon,” which by historical derivatives, came from “lusong” – a large wooden mortar used in dehusking rice.
(I will update this post soon…)
Cariñosa: Capturing the intrinsic character of the Filipino Culture
Cariñosa is traditionally associated with the Maria Clara suite of Filipino dances.
Cariñosa may well be a byword of the “Alab ng Puso” – the romantic Cri de Coeur of Filipino sentimentalism. This form of intrinsic cultural sentimentalism, as exemplified by the artistic plethora of dances and songs throughout the centuries, may also be used to emancipate the already expansive contemporary arts of Filipinos. Although the word comes from a colonial-era point of view, it must not hinder the organic development
of artistic hybridity, since Filipino art is indeed an existing assortment of various
heritages.
Some “Alab ng Puso,” your Cariñosa, may well be subjective beyond dances and
songs. Recently, we’ve participated in a Bamboo Enterprise Development Session,
which highlights one of the centuries-old tradition – basket weaving. It’s an amazing
experience to have met some kins of Datu Guabong, who was then the Monuvu
chieftain of the tribal settlement near my birthplace. It is noteworthy to state that across the world, tribal narratives are slowly incorporated in the contemporary discourse of sustainability and environmental protection.
Tribal people, one of the most vulnerable, have guarded some pristine forests that are threatened by unbridled consumption of resources. In the local context, the extent of tribal narratives that can be integrated into the story of human solidarity and sustainability, is left to the guiding ethos of the nation’s social fabric. Perhaps, giving enough leeway to hasten the production of sustainable resources, like planting bamboo across the country, is a great start especially with the backdrop of rising global temperature and its effects to social welfare. That would be a beautiful Cariñosa between nature and its inhabitants.
Mindanaoan Art, as one of the facets of Filipino Art, is also exemplified by a long history of courtship – the art of hide and seek, like basket weaving, until the new story of Cariñosa unfolds. The new Cariñosa may well be about learning to start the loop-closing in our industries, and thereby ushering a new environmental narrative for Filipinos, that of Industrial Ecology.
Much may unfold henceforth. After all, some “Alab ng Puso,” your Cariñosa, may well be subjective beyond dances and songs.
Atchara: Development of a Pickling Industry in President Roxas (A Concept Art)
Pickling is one of the heirloom traditions of food preservations, which can be traced back as far as 2030 BCE. 2 Although people have focused much on the post-harvest use of vine plants and its fruits, some aspects of the production can still be tapped. For instance, local studies on ethnobotanical uses of plants in trailing a new environment can still be tapped. 3
This can be a concept that can be scaled up and applied when humans are faced with long-term solutions for accessing treacherous terrains. Tendrils of some plants can access the most treacherous parts of a new environment, a process often called trailing or scandent. 4 This process is useful, especially if accompanied with the ethnobotanical studies on human use of plant tactile senses. 5
This process has been used by many cultures in the world, for instance, the use of rubber fig trees to build living foot bridges when industrial materials are scarce is a common practice in remote villages. 6 This is a form of nature-based architecture, which exemplifies the use of “natural scaffolding,” as an aid to adapting with natural terrain. 7 The process is not as fast as industrial-made infrastructure, but it can be sustainable so long as the main trees are kept healthy for hundreds of years. Tactile senses of vine-based and fruit-bearing plants will not only expand the sustainable infrastructure profile of humans, but also expand the food preservation practices. This is especially useful since trees can be used to study the human concept of time.
Civilizations have been studied based on some evidences like infrastructure and even food consumption history. 8 Thus, it’s a good idea to strengthen the connections of infrastructure system with the food system. Locally known as “atchara,” 9 the local pickling industry could hopefully add some input into the art and science of sustainable Scaffolding and Vine Trailing (Scandent).
Pipino
Cucumbers have been used for pickles since time immemorial. 10 Asians have used pickling as a form of preservation and cleansing of food. Cucumbers species are spread throughout the world, but the wild mini cucumbers are less known as compared to their large counterparts. This space-efficient wild cucumber grows locally, and is reminiscent of the cucamelons. 11 It’s perfect for toppings and salads. Aside from cucumbers, other local herbs can be included in local pickling industries. For instance, the use of galangal, 12 a Southeast Asian spice locally known as langkawas, can be used in the pickling of tambo 13 or bamboo shoots.
Black Guava
Fruits like Manga (Mango) have been used in South Asian cuisine for pickling, but this can be expanded to other nutritious fruits as well. Other fruits like the indigenized Black Guava 14 are already adapted to the country.
Papaya
Papayas are commonly known as an ingredient of smoothies, 15 but it can be pickled like other vegetables. It is considered as a staple dish to local foods that are cooked through skewers, like the famous Chicken Inasal. 16 By default, the concept of “atchara” in the country has been attributed to pickled papaya, but this can be expanded through thorough studies of local food profiles.
With proper studies, local vines can be used to study the concept of “natural scaffolding,” 17 and eventually build up on stronger vines and trees in the future. The fruits of these vines and trees can be preserved as well. Perhaps, one of the best takeaways from building up on the sustainable Scaffold + Vine Trailing is the concept of intergenerational responsibility 18 as people progress with time.
REFERENCES (URL, Retrieved on Mar 30, 2021)
1- https://practicalselfreliance.com/growing-cucamelons/
2- https://www.pbs.org/food/the-history-kitchen/history-pickles/
3- https://www.nytimes.com/2020/08/01/science/vines-lianas-panama.html
4- https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/scandent
5- https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=http://www.esalq.usp.br/lepse/imgs/conteudo_thumb/Plants-Exhibit-The-Same-Senses-As-Humans-And-See.pdf&ved=2ahUKEwj0s9m4kdbvAhV3y4sBHS7qAIUQFjABegQIBBAG&usg=AOvVaw3bY2UqnVuIqUImmZcnmhh9
6- https://guyshachar.com/en/2016/living-root-bridges-nagaland-india-mon-myahnyu/
7- https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://www.irbnet.de/daten/iconda/CIB528.pdf&ved=2ahUKEwjm8JTgktbvAhULc5QKHSUBAeIQFjAhegQIHxAC&usg=AOvVaw3qhmb_YfOadpWdCAtwKcdB
8- https://www.cambridge.org/core/books/archaeology-of-food/what-is-food-and-why-do-archaeologists-study-it/D4FEAECAFA61B78D83CC031DDE644239
9- https://www.researchgate.net/publication/296210281_Commercial_Viability_of_Sweet-Mixed_Vegetable_Pickles_in_Benguet
10- https://www.canr.msu.edu/news/processing_methods_for_pickled_products
11- http://www.omafra.gov.on.ca/CropOp/en/spec_veg/cucurbits/mouse.html
12- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5414456/
13- https://www.philippinelanguages.com/word/tambo/44050
14- https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/248477777_Domestication_of_the_Chilean_guava_Ugni_molinae_Turcz_a_forest_understorey_shrub_must_consider_light_intensity&ved=2ahUKEwjNoq_VlNbvAhULG6YKHUl3ArgQFjAOegQICBAC&usg=AOvVaw2Ff3q7kch57NOTtYpzrdDk
15- https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/bobby-flay/papaya-banana-smoothie-recipe-1948862
16- https://www.manilastandard.net/mobile/article/261097
17- https://www.archdaily.com/793364/watch-how-bamboo-scaffolding-was-used-to-build-hong-kongs-skyscrapers
18- https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-1-349-09416-5_1
Sag-ob: Development of village-wide Aquaponic/Agroponic System in President Roxas (A Concept Art)
Sag-ob, 2 which is the local term for “fetching water,” is one of the traditions in my birth place, Lomonay. The nomenclature is reflective of the old iterative process of fetching water from a nearby water source. In the past, before the advent of technology, children were taught how to fetch water using sizeable containers. It’s done in an iterative process, of which the village children use containers that they can personally carry and incrementally increase loads until they can carry bigger loads. This is a village concept that has changed through the advent of technology, but the core concept of iteration is still useful. The concept of water resource iteration can be implemented and scaled up from this concept to further study agricultural innovations – Village-wide Aquaponic/ Agroponic System. 3
Marbol River and Filtration Facility
An aquaponic system 4 needs a water source or a flood tank. Locally known as “suba,” the village of Lomonay is a few miles away from Marbol River. This river has a steady supply of water resources, which can be diverted through an enabling policy. This can be connected to a filtration facility, 5 such as that of a sand filtration facility, to filter out water-borne diseases. 6 And while the water travels from the Marbol River to the filtration facility, whirlpool turbines 7 can be integrated such that it can generate hydropower to be used for the overall system.
Raceways and Lomonay Dam
After filtering the needed water, there is a need for aquaculture facilities, or simply fish tanks. 8 These can be made through the establishment of Raceways. The area is already home to the Lomonay Dam, but adding raceways between the Marbol River and Lomonay Dam can be a boost for productivity in the area. Additionally, the depressed areas near hilly parts of the village can be utilized to duplicate or expand the existing dam infrastructure. The energy generated by the whirlpool infrastructures can be used for modern monitoring systems, such as water flow rates 9 and fish stocking density. These are necessary to monitor stocking density of high-density fish species like Tilapia or Pangasius. 10
Farms and Research Facilities
The overflow from the aquaculture facilities can then be utilized in the grow bed for water-intensive crops. The use of this nutrient-rich water should fertilize the grow beds 11 of farms, which can be made of soil or coco coir. 12 These facilities are an interesting venues for studies in modern Agroponics. 13 Thus, complementing the farm is hopefully an adjacent Research Facility, where studies on productivity and bio-intensive farming can be conducted. 14
Barsha© Pumps and Waterfalls
Locally known as “busay,” 15 the villagers are adept to their terrain. Waterfalls can be found in the area. These can be used and integrated with Barsha© pumps, 16 which can pump water back to the filtration facility. The use of inclined spillways can also be integrated with whirlpool technologies, since the area has hilly and depressed terrains. These various technologies should add to the energy profile of the village.
A village- wide aquaponic/ agroponic system is not only beneficial to the environment and businesses, but beneficial most especially to the villagers. The whole system can create enough Full-Time Equivalent (FTE)s 17 than can employ many people in the village. Through enough support from the government, the villagers can hopefully bank on building various cooperative to specialize in the various specializations in the whole system. The system can add avenues for research and aquaculture-related enterprises, which are really needed in a fast evolving food system. With enough infrastructures, the iterative process of Village-wide Aquaponic/Agroponic System can be improved in the future with trajectory towards sustainability. 18
REFERENCES (URL, Retrieved on March 14, 2021)
1. https://www.empowering-people-network.siemens-stiftung.org/en/solutions/projects/barsha-pump/
2. http://www.binisaya.com/cebuano/sag-ob
3. https://ezgrogarden.com/hydroponics/what-is-agroponics/
4. https://www.ecolifeconservation.org/updates/types-aquaponics-systems-design/
5. https://www.cdc.gov/safewater/sand-filtration.html
6. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29239552/
7. https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/abstract/document/9117406
8. https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://fisheries.tamu.edu/files/2013/10/Aquaponics-Growing-Fish-and-Plants-Together.pdf&ved=2ahUKEwiljLj-_a7vAhUZK6YKHXMbCxQQFjAZegQIHBAC&usg=AOvVaw0O9EsBdCv-C0ICihNq2ges
9. http://www.teledyneisco.com › en-usPDF
Flow Monitoring Product Guide Brochure – Teledyne ISCO
10. https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://www.entomoljournal.com/archives/2017/vol5issue5/PartI/5-4-38-179.pdf&ved=2ahUKEwit1uO7_q7vAhW6yYsBHWPVBm4QFjAQegQIChAC&usg=AOvVaw2OaQmxn86Ge_dnqXMaoESI
11. https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://www.researchgate.net/figure/Aquaponic-systems-based-on-types-of-grow-bed_fig1_312560618/amp&ved=2ahUKEwiwoMzp_q7vAhVTL6YKHdZcBQYQFjAdegQIGxAC&usg=AOvVaw3mYFYKm8FsBfemWh8xYp03&cf=1
12. http://www.cocoponics.co/cgi-sys/suspendedpage.cgi
13. https://ezgrogarden.com/hydroponics/what-is-agroponics/
14. https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=http://ucanr.edu/sites/camg2011/files/102266.pdf&ved=2ahUKEwjUzujD_67vAhUXwosBHTE8DwEQFjAFegQIFBAC&usg=AOvVaw1cX64yGCj-h8Kpw47w56-7
15. http://www.binisaya.com/cebuano/busay
16. https://www.aqysta.com/products/barsha-pump/
17. https://www.accountingtools.com/articles/how-to-calculate-ftes.html
18. https://sdgs.un.org/goals
Shiitake: Overview of bran-to-bokashi bio-intensive farms for highland areas
Philippines has a population growth rate of 1-2% per annum. This means that future Filipino homes would either rise (vertical growth) or spread (horizontal growth). The rise is already happening, especially for metropolitan areas. Somehow, this has caused perennial problems, especially with regards to the amount of wastes that clog our rivers and streams. On the other hand, the spread means that more and more agricultural lands would be converted for residential and commercial use. Only our experts can say the sustainable allotments for both kinds of development. But ultimately, we need to invest more into the research and development of an industry that must catch up with these unbridled urban developments – Bio-intensive Agriculture.
Bio-intensive Agriculture simply means the production of large number of crops from a small amount of land. At the end of the day, we all need to eat. Thus, we must not stifle the investments in our agriculture sector. Israel, which has developed many technologies for their agriculture sector, would be one of our best benchmarks for bio-intensive agriculture against the backdrop of climate change. We can start with a staple crop: Rice.
Black Rice
Province of Cotabato currently produces the famed Emperor’s Rice, otherwise known as Black Rice, which was believed to be an heirloom crop of Chinese Royalties. And while we are slowly lagging behind our ASEAN peers in terms of commercial rice production, we can focus on the comparative advantage of our Rice Research and Development and re-calibrate the production towards the high-value grain products.
Rice Bran
Production of rice produces many by-products, which includes rice straw and rice bran. These by-products can be reused for many value-adding products. For example, some brands use rice bran oils for cosmetic products. Additionally, the rice straw and rice bran can be used as a substrate for the production of mushrooms.
Shiitake and other Mushrooms
Mushrooms contain protein, and are used in many Asian and Western cuisines. It can be converted into food, medicines, and other value-adding products. There’s a wide range of developments that can be made, especially for our huge Filipino market. But one timely product that we can develop would be bokashi balls.
Bokashi Balls
The metropolitan areas are being cleaned under the current administration. Polluted rivers need agitates that can aid in cleaning of water systems. Bokashi has early roots in Korea, but was later developed in Japan. The method had been used in many projects before, which included the Pasig River. There’s just more that we can do when we re-calibrate our raw materials towards the value-adding supply chain.
Pedagogy: Development of Community-Based Learning in the Municipality of President Roxas
Covid-19 pandemic has taught us one important age-old lesson – we are all vulnerable to the whims of nature. It has affected our routines that our systems are adapting towards more sustainable means of operations, which is deeply related to technology. As for the folks who lack access to modern facilities, the technological gap can only be closed by one core value – Synergy.
Synergy is a concept of “working together” towards a goal. It aims to start by up-skilling the human capital to match the planned future industries in the municipality and beyond.
Urban Geography is a new concept for me, but it can definitely help in the future. As a planned loci of development in the municipality, synergy in education is aimed at bridging stakeholders from local level to global level, by emphasizing the praxis of “local to global” narrative. In the future, it may try to revolve around the three aspects of modern pedagogy: People, Profit, and Environment.
Bakyas: Ceramic Tiles Industry Roadmap for the Municipality of President Roxas
North Cotabato is endowed with non-metallic products like limestone, sand and gravel, soil, and white clay. The demand for these products is rising along with the rising projects in the construction industry. Particularly, the areas of Banisilan, President Roxas, M’lang, Makilala, and Magpet are home to a raw material that needs to be developed – White Clay.
White clay, or locally associated with the term “Bakyas,” is the raw material in the production of various ceramic products. The Department of Trade and Industry has a general roadmap that supports the production of local ceramic tiles. To wit, “The Philippine ceramic tile industry envisions itself to have efficient, competitive and environment-friendly manufacturers with sustainable and profitable operations, contributing to society and to the country’s growth.”
The tiles production would be a great opportunity to delve into, since the raw material is readily available in the area.
(ongoing research)
Coffee Industry Roadmap for the Municipality of President Roxas
The Philippines aims to become a leader in Knowledge Process Outsourcing (KPO) Industry in the ASEAN Region. In an economic point of view, this means that there will be increased foot traffic during night time in the areas where these industries thrive. This gives rise to demands not just in the informal economy, but also an increased domestic demand for a staple beverage – coffee.
It is an opportunity that can’t be missed by our own region, which currently leads in the production of the priced coffee beans in the country. The demand for coffee continues to rise every year, thus the supply must be able to productively meet it.
Thematic Mapping and Onboarding Sessions
Thematic Mapping is highly needed in order to agglomerate the support for the project. The best way to do this is to capitalize on political leverage.
Additionally, Senator Miguel Zubiri has sponsored a bill mandating the establishment of cooperatives in municipalities/cities. This has passed second reading already. The coffee industry can definitely patch this mandate.
It was interesting to note that the Ateneo de Davao University – School of Engineering and Architecture had recently conducted a Coordination Meeting with the Department of Interior and Local Goverment (DILG). The said meeting aims to provide technical assistance to LGUs in the Philippines. A thematic map would certainly be of great help for the municipality from the technical experts.
Supply Chain and External Partnerships
If pursued, the coffee industry in President Roxas would be able to enter and contribute to the Coffee Supply Chain in the Philippines and hopefully in the ASEAN Region. The increased productivity of the farms must be a priority, such that it can pave the way for the utilization of idle human capital and maximization of natural resources.
External Partnerships will secure the longevity of the project. This can be done by doing agreements with sister municipalities and cities with overlapping interests. It is fitting to note that South Cotabato already champions the production of coffee beans, thus benchmarking of best practices is just a few hours away.
Hopefully, coffee blooms in President Roxas in the future.
Vincent Carlo Duran Cuzon 