ABOUT THE AUTHOR

The author is an advocate of corporate governance and business in development paradigms. This advocacy started in 1990 as a postgraduate student in the United Kingdom on a British Chevening Scholarship.

He studied Agricultural Economics at the University of the Philippines Los Baños and went on to pursue the degree of Master of Science in Social Development Planning at the Centre for Development Studies of the University of Wales Swansea in the UK. He also attended an international project management course in the Netherlands.

Mr. Bacolod's imagination, creativity, and integrative skills  set him apart from the more academic and bureaucratic oriented development economists and planners that still dominate the development policy and planning landsscape in the Philippines. Others simply say that he thinks much ahead of his time for his country as demonstrated by his works.   

ALTERNATIVE INVESTMENT MODELS FOR PHILIPPINE DEVELOPMENT

Why is it that the government, the nongovernmental organization, and even the private business sectors still embrace developmental approaches that have not significantly contributed in reducing poverty in the Philippines?  More than a century ago, however, Dr. Jose Rizal believed that addresing the problems on education, agriculture, and trade and commerce were the fundamental solutions to fight poverty.  More than a century hence, Dr. Jose Rizal's thinking remains valid. On this basis, we have to contrive and  operationalize alternative investment models for Philippine development.

G-4 INTERNATIONAL (Founding Partner)

The corporation promotes the practice of corporate governance, shareholder activism, and business in development paradigms in international development. By January 2008, the corporation will start its operations in New York City, USA  with the main aim of securing funding and getting the appropriate technologies for projects such as biodiesel plant, ethanol plant, international seaport, modern health care services, food terminal, and integrated grains milling centers. Global in its operations, the corporation will initially  put up subsidiaries in such countries as Canada,  Philippines, Vietnam, and Cambodia.

PRESENTATION

NEDA 

When an integrated investment model for the Province of Cagayan was sent to Secretary Romulo Neri of NEDA, the Secretary asked for a meeting. On October 7, 2004, the meeting took place. The title of the presentation was Choices for Agro-Industrial Development. A written and powerpoint presentation was prepared  for   the  meeting with the Secretary.

Philippine Bid Challenge  2007

Three startup business plans were chosen as finalists in the Philippine Bid Challenge competition organized by PBSP in the Philippines. The business plans were Farm Depot.Com Philippines, Central Sierra Madre Community Based Agroforestry Project, and Sierra Madre Diesel Project. The projects caught the attention of the Director John Van Duursen of the Netherlands based Bidnetwork.org for possible international funding with local counterpart.

FEATURES

Modernizing Philippine Agriculture 

Eduardo D. Bacolod

Modernizing Philippine Agriculture is a piece of planning work that fully articulates our vision of a truly modernized Philippine agriculture that can be propelled by using very limited budgetary appropriations from the government. Sustained domestic private sector and foreign investments and innovative projects with grassroots foundation are the conditions we believemust exist that can ignite agricultural modernization in the Philippines. As an agricultural development agenda, Modernizing Philippine Agriculture basically lays down the unified strategic development framework plan to address the country's major concerns in agricultural development. These concerns include rice self-sufficiency, food handling and distribution industry modernization, coconut industry rehabilitation, the modernization of vital industries which include fisheries, poultry and livestock, and high value crops, disaster preparedness, research and development agenda as a package of investment opportunities, and local government participation in agro-industrial modernization. In line with this proposed national agricultural modernization agenda are business development models for organized production and support infrastructure systems, which have been articulated as Model Farms For Agricultural Modernization and Model Agro-industrial Infrastructure Systems.

The heart of the above planning works is an agricultural modernization conceptual framework, which was developed after years of continuous dialogue with various sectors. The development framework is the Square Conceptual Framework For Agricultural Modernization, which we believe is an agricultural modernization framework that possesses technical merits and symbolisms that are highly appropriate at this time of globalization. The framework can be adopted in the Philippines and in other developing and transition countries.

The square conceptual framework is represented by four structures in its four corners. Every structure has an interconnection with each other so that there are two diagonal connections that further provide strength in the structure. The four corners of the square are represented by the model farms for organized production, credit, and marketing, food network for marketing and processing of agricultural products, rural-industrial parks for processing of raw materials and food products, provision of support services, generating employment for skilled work force, and zoning of the country into strategic agricultural development zones, and farm depot as source of farm production inputs, technologies, and farm mechanization support. At the center of this four-corner agricultural modernization structure are support services, the fuel and operating system that starts the whole mass and keeps it moving. These support services are credit, infrastructure support, research and development, information and communication systems, training and extension, cooperative modernization, transport support, and disaster and risks coping support.

The second book, with Mr. Raul Lara as my co-author is entitled Model Farms for Agricultural Modernization. In this book, Mr. Lara shares with me his field experiences in the implementation of community-based agriculture project. The book focuses on the development of models within the context that agricultural modernization can be best attained in unity. A unified and organized agriculture system for the Philippinesmust emanate from the most basic production unit of agriculture, which is the farm. On this basis, the development of model farms inspired by organized farms forming a unified mass under an integrated production system for the purpose of attaining technical efficiency must be vigorously supported. Seemingly, organized farming can best draw its strength from continuing community-based education based on the Freirean philosophy of education, a process that can strengthen core competencies of individual farmers as part of an efficient organized farmers' groups engaged in viable business endeavors. Model farms, which include integrated rice processing center, community based dairy project, greenhouse village, quality rice production, and food outlet store are presented with solid conceptual framework and technical and financial study.

The third book is entitled Model Agro-Industrial Infrastructure Systems. The book proposes that to further strengthen the microeconomics foundation of the Philippines, the establishment of structures or orders that can create and absorb employment, improve production efficiency, and provide guidance to local level economies, particularly the rural economies of the country, will be highly necessary. These structures must be established in the form of integrated food terminal markets, modern public markets, rural-industrial parks, greenhouse and irrigation infrastructure systems, and transportation infrastructure for the movement of goods and services. Furthermore, these structures must apply functional and precise management and operating systems that will contribute to efficiency. The book is a compilation of planning works giving emphasis on the importance of the establishment of model agro-industrial infrastructure systems that will propel economic activities through the application of sound technology and prudent management strategies.

The three books are all in line with attaining agricultural development and growth, creating employment opportunities, and eventually alleviating poverty in the Philippines.