LOREN LISTENS TO THAT STILL, SMALL VOICE AND THE EMERGING NATURAL RESOURCE GOVERNANCE THEORY OF THE TIMES: THE GOVERNANCE BY THE GROUP

"In the midst of all the noise and secret whispers; The interest of a cooperative versus a mayor's, that of a local party leader needing campaign fund for a political post versus that of a small farmers' group, in the midst of threats from political interest groups of withdrawal of support if their leaders are not given funds-- Whom should I listen to? That still, small voice of God's spirit should reign supreme. "

Green vice presidential candidate Loren Legarda declares that she will listen to the voice of the many--in her decision making on crucial matters such as allocation of funds for agriculture and environment. She calls on agricultural cooperatives and other farmers' associations to prepare themselves as she is bent on passing the National Extension Bill. She said the bill will allot funds for agricultural activities of municipalities through demonstration farms on communal irrigation systems (CIS), high-yielding and climate-change tolerant crop varieties and environmentally safe inputs, use and maintenance of agricultural machineries and equipment as well as teaching the farmers and fisherfolk how to access credit and market their products.

"This is the best way I know how to turn around our agricultural performance. We have to teach our farmers and fisherfolk how to farm and fish in the most productive and sustainable way. And we have to channel our resources to the farm management mechanism that will integrate fragmented landholdings to attain economies of scale in production and marketing. We have to believe that human beings can work through a team or collaborative action. This is why Elinor Ostrom, a political scientist, is now the Nobel Prize winner, because of her belief that those who manage the commons can have reason to work together for the benefit of the majority.", Loren said.

"Maybe Ostrom's victory is a sign that we should heed her policy imperatives in managing our natural resources. We should work collaboratively. And we should give incentives for people to work together--I challenge the Cooperative Development Authority to study the work of Elinor Ostrom and know the secret of the most successful irrigation system the country has ever produced--the irrigation of the rice terraces--and other such collaborative systems in natural resource management in the world. Maybe we should also think of collaborative action by families. Plato thought the "kaibigan and kamag-anak" system is the root of all evil so he built his imaginary state on the foundation of communal governance of the republic among the guardians who do not know their children. The Chinese thought that was unnatural and built their economy on filial piety. The Chinese is now an economic giant. The Filipinos love their families, that is natural, therefore we should not fight it. And like the Chinese, we are Asians, we are not the individualistic Westerners in whom Adam Smith built his theory of individualism in the 1800s. ", Loren theorized.