“Where There Is No Vision, The People Perish” – King James. The Filipino People Do Not Perish Because They Import Rice!

18 years ago, Cheryl Casiwan Launio asked (Jan 2006, ResearchGate, researchgate.net): “Why does the Philippines import rice?” “Where there is no vision, the people perish” – Proverbs 29:18 (King James Version). Seriously speaking: In the case of us Filipinos, we do not perish even if our President and Agriculture Leaders have no Vision, because we import the rice we eat! (images from researchgate.net, a-new-way-to-work.com/lander)

Truthfully, the Philippine’s Lack of Agriculture Vision = Lack of local rice adequate for the Filipino people!

“Where there is no vision, the people perish.” Got Questions Ministries says about it (gotquestions.org):

“Some have used this verse to emphasize the importance of vision in leadership. Without a long-term plan – without a vision – people are doomed to wander aimlessly.

“Of course, it is true that having an idea of where one is headed helps in getting there.”

Why does my country import rice or worse, “Why is the Philippines the World’s #1 importer of rice?” It’s because of lack of Vision & Mission of our leaders. PH President Ferdinand “BBM” Marcos Jr? in 2022, BBM replaced William Dar as Secretary of Agriculture – and BBM had no Agriculture Vision. (Read my previous article: “Again, If William Dar Were The Secretary Of Agriculture, How Good Would He Turn Out To Be Today?” (16 Oct 2024, Communication For Development Of Vibrant Villages, blogspot.com).

Vision & Mission: Jen Croneberger puts them excellently in their proper places in his article “Vision, Mission And Purpose: The Difference” (04 March 2020, Forbes Coaches Council, Forbes, forbes.com):

The difference between mission and vision is present tense vs long-range big picture.

I interpret that to mean these: Vision is what you want to achieve for your group in the long run; Mission is what you will do to achieve that Vision. You need both!

I see “Agriculture-Led Prosperity” was Mr Dar’s Vision for PH Agriculture. ANN says, “Dar Addresses Challenges In Food Security In ADB Forum” (28 Oct 2019, Author Not Named, da.gov.ph):

Agriculture Secretary William Dar… called for the proactive involvement of private and public sectors in addressing current challenges in poverty, food insecurity, and rural prosperity…

He also said:

To promote farm mechanization, increase the use of better seeds, provide low interest production credit, and offer training programs to palay farmers – a P10 billion-worth Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fun (RCEF) was established.

Now I say: “Today, as the Philippines is the #1 rice importer in the world, let’s mobilize that PhP 10,000,000,000!

Before this article, I wrote, “Again, If William Dar Were The Secretary Of Agriculture, How Good Would He Turn Out To Be Today?” where I talk about Mr Dar’s “New Thinking” about PH’s Agriculture. The 2 Secretaries of Agriculture who succeeded Mr Dar did not have any new thinking at all!

Elsewhere, we are told by ANN that Mr Dar’s Vision is “A food-secure Philippines with prosperous farmers and fisherfolk” (Author Not Named, 12 Sept 2019, Edge Davao, edgedavao.net).

I earnestly request that BBM reappoint Mr Dar as Secretary of Agriculture!@517