Ben Contreras While trying to research on composting, my nephew told me about MRF (Material Recovery Facility), a program taught them when he was still working in cold storage facilities. This program is all about recycling recyclable materials into new products, thereby preventing or lessening the prospect of pollution or accumulation of garbage. My research on composting arose from my desire to go into vegetable gardening in my little farm in Libertad. The land is not really very suitable, it being limy. But I can bring soil from neighboring lands and to make it fertile, put some chicken dung from nearby poultry farms or composting. One of the photos I saw was about discarded or left-over vegetables mixed into soils and the use of earth worms. Then, it occurred to me that our markets are littered with discarded vegetables that became parts of the daily collected garbage. Thus, my question is that why has the government not make use of these veggies to produce composed soil for gardening? Are we people too lazy to go into it? Wouldn’t it be nice to see everyone selfeliant when it comes to vegetables we buy and eat every day? Along this line, I would like to go back to the abundance of hyacinth plants abundant, as reported, in our rivers. Again, the LGU of Alubijid took pain in teaching their folks making use of these hyacinth plants by turning them into new products as a new form of livelihood. My nephew added that Alubijid has already been practicing MRF. Can’t our city government take this initiative, too? Time will come when I will be at our markets and collect these discarded vegetables, bring them to the farm and use them as materials for composting. Perhaps, people need to see what a thriving vegetable gardens look like. Dr. Bob Ocio has successfully turned his land into lush garden. Felipe Abrogar is doing it, too. Rolly Ilogon is making wonders in his paradise. Tatoy Neri is into green in his Dahilayan land. I believe there are more from the cities. If we encourage and teach people to farm, perhaps we can solve a certain percentage of our informal settlers’ problem and increase food production. We’re so engrossed in urban amenities and modern technological gadgetries that we may have forgotten who feeds us: the farmers. And when there would be lesser farmers, who are going to feed a nation? Can’t we at least encourage backyard gardening? Bob is coming home and I am sure he will also pursue his dream about permaculture way of farming. Like Bob, there are many who also follow Dr. Michael Bengwayan. Let’s make our world green.
A friend seems skeptical of the alliance of President Duterte and the Pimentels. His gut feeling was somehow bolstered by the pronouncement of the Pres. Duterte regarding the acceptance of some LP members into the so-called super-majority. The Duterte allegedly mentioned the Romualdos of Camiguin Island. What has this got to do with Mayor Moreno?  Moreno was saying in his radio program that the Pimentels will help him in his Ajinomoto case with the Ombudsman. If Duterte is sincere in his fight against corruption, then meddling with Ombudsman decision may not be acceptable to the President. People who believe corruption is serious in the city, any attempt by whoever will be frowned upon.