AVANT GARDENER Yvette Tan “The destiny of nations depends on what and how they eat” — Brillat-Savarin (French politician and gourmand who had a cheese named after him) It’s said that a man’s heart is through his stomach, and so it is with countries. A well-fed person has a better capacity...
AVANT GARDENER Yvette Tan The New Year is always a cause for celebration, not only because it closes the cycle of the past year and moves on to a new one, but also because beginnings always hold so much promise. Many people use the New Year to make resolutions to better their lives. Numerous...
t’s the Christmas season, arguably the most anticipated holiday of the year. But instead of concentrating on the festivities, many Filipinos will be wondering how to make ends meet amid the rising prices of basic food items. This, alongside the longtime complaint of farmers and fishers not making...
AVANT GARDENER Yvette Tan The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) plays an important role in regulating the country’s natural resources, which includes agroforestry. DENR Secretary Maria Antonia “Toni” Yulo Loyzaga outlines the department’s thrust: Ethical stewardship....
The Singapore Writers Festival 2022 was spread across different locations, including the Arts House. (Photo courtesy of Arts House Limited) The Singapore Writers Festival (SWF) is an annual event that celebrates literature and its adjacent disciplines. Started in 1986, aside from being one of the...
AVANT GARDENER Yvette Tan The Mandanas-Garcia Ruling, or Executive Order 138 (EO 138) is a Supreme Court ruling petitioned by Batangas Governor Hermilando Mandanas and former Bataan Governor Enrique Garcia, Jr. that, according to the Philippine Information Agency (PIA) website, requests “the...
AVANT GARDENER Yvette Tan I attended a talk given by Cielito F. Habito, director of the Ateneo Center for Economic Research and Development and the secretary of Socio Economic Planning heading the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) during the late Fidel Ramos’ presidency. Titled...
AVANT GARDENER Yvette Tan The agriculture sector is in a weird state. Not enough Filipinos are worried about the declining industry and its implications on the nation’s food security, yet everyone can feel — and complains about — the rising prices and lack of supply of certain food items,...
AVANT GARDENER Yvette Tan With the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), the largest trade agreement involving many countries since the establishment of the World Trade Organization (WTO), due to be brought up in the Senate soon, the question remains: will the agriculture sector be...
AVANT GARDENER Yvette Tan I sat down with Arsenio “Toto” Barcelona, president of Harbest Agribusiness Corporation, which celebrates its 25th anniversary this month. As anyone who’s met him knows, he’s fun to talk to and is a font of knowledge. He was also a good friend of former Manila...
AVANT GARDENER Yvette Tan We need to focus on ensuring national food security now to prevent shortages in the future. Various groups and individuals have been sounding this alarm, particularly in the last few months. As the country transitions to a new administration, with President Marcos also...
AVANT GARDENER Yvette Tan The blue ternate may finally be getting its moment. The blue ternate (Clitoria ternatea), also known as butterfly pea, also known as Asian pigeonwings has been the darling of small farmers for a while now. Its scientific name comes from the word clitoris because that’s...
