Where have all the heroes gone?
This week I received a telefax from my friend, who is working in the Municipality of Mati, Davao Oriental/Mindanao. I like to share it with you:
“Failure! That was the answer I’ve got from one farmer who happened to plant cassava on his one-hectare lot. Failure! A comment from another farmer, who planted corn. The same word from one, who planted vegetables. The same answer from different farmers from different places. Why failure? Varied reasons: poor weather, poor conditions, no capital, lack of technical knowledge. I feel so sad. I know that these people weave dreams too and spent most of their lives into farming, yet the word “failure” never leaves them/
I’m talking about the marginal farmers in the hinterlands, who are in the large numbers compared to the blessed few who enjoy the so-called modern farming.
Despite the shadow of failure, they never stop farming because it is the only thing they know: plant and harvest what is worth harvesting for. From this large number of farmers who harvest less, many just don’t realize that they feed millions of Filipinos. Isn’t that an act of heroism? Heroes, who never stepped on foreign lands, who eat grated coconut and salt as viand, who cannot make their children go to school and if fortunate enough, graduating in elementary is a great achievement, who smells of perspiration the whole day, no decent clothes to wear and when sick, go to the nearest health centre with no medicine available and when death comes, natural or tragic, to be put in a makeshift coffin thru the help of their neighbours.
That’s the true picture of our unsung heroes, the farmers, compared to the so-called modern day heroes, the Oversea Workers, who might get lucky to step on foreign lands, and who might smell foreign perfumes while also struggling through life.”
Thank you my friend of Mati, Davao Oriental. I think your telefax is worth a lot of thoughts and opinions from the bottom of the heart.
Klaus,
Thank you for an interesting and thoughtful article. As foreigner, we think at times how much less our life or conforts are by living here. We have all moved here with some savings and or income, but at times think of the conforts we had back home. If we can we buy the imported items or conforts to make life here more enjoyabe. We also meet and see many Filipinos in cars and nice clothes.
At Christmas time we do see the people going from door to door singing carols for a few pesos.
But we forget, or never think of the poor farmers tryig to scratchout a living so we can buy the produce we get each day in the markets.
You are correct calling them unsung heros.
Thank you for remindig us how fortunate we are and to appreciate the peoples here and our needs from them.
Hi Bruce, thanks for leaving a comment here, which is indeed once again completing my article. I am sure, you are on the right way to adjust living here in the Philippines permanently without big problems.
Hi Klaus my father in law is asubsistance farmer so i agree with every comment you have made on the poor farmers. If iam not mistaken thereare about 6 families dependent on his rice.If he does not produce then their is aserious problem.OFWs iclass as poor aswell. If you see filopinos working on building sites in the middle east at 48 degrees in the mid day sun for very little reward. Away from their families for 2 years at a time.Why do they do this so their families can survive. Just survive.While at the top the fatcats just explolt these timid well mannered people.Phil has alot of unsunk heroes.But whlile those at top continue to explolt thoses below them it will never change.i am sure we have been down this road before. sorry Klaus if i go on abit on this isssue but to me it is avery sore point and close to my heart While iam A capatilist . Exploytation is anyother issue entirely.
Hi Klaus your article very interest I like your articles
yes it’s truth the formers work it’s heroism.
If I know good english I like to write more.
But if you know greek to write it’s good for me.
regards
Hi Klaus- This subject is also about some peoples ethical and moral behaviour towards others. The explotation of man by man but judged by only one in the end, reminds me of the very true saying you reap what you sow.
Hi Frank Fealey, I like to thank you for your very touching comment. I understand you very well. I also know a lot of farmers (friends), who are actually doing the same: Survive, survive for them and their families. Of course, also the overseaworkers are such heroes. I have a British friend, who is belonging to building construction staff in Kuwait. He says the same about the Filipino workers there. Best wishes to you.
Hi Zois, it’s always a pleisure for me to know you are visiting my blog and leave a comment. Thank you so much. I know it would be easier for you to write in Greek. But even me I only would understand a few words. Don’t worry about your English. “LiP” welcomes you always. Regards to you and to Greece.
Hi Jim, also to you thanks a lot for again stopping by. I agree with you 100%. Best wishes also to you.
Hi Klaus… Agree with your observations of the OFWs in the Middle East. Since I met my fiancee here in Abu Dhabi, my eyes have been opened beyond the smoke and mirrors of Dubai that the government here (Successfully, I might add) tries to project. The sacrifices her and her family make in this country simply so her family can survive are truly admirable and I am afraid that there are not many Americans or Westerners who would do the same. Our “move” date to Manila has been postponed two months, but neither of us can wait to get out of this place. OFWs are treated like dirt here, even at church last night (We were refused admittance to an “arab only” Mass… More correctly, they would not let my fiancee in (Filipinas are considered about the same as animals here), but I was welcomed (I’m not arab… Redneck American Good ol’ boy). I told them what they could do with their Mass. It’s a problem when there are only 3 churches in the country…. My heart broke when I saw the look in my fiancee’s eyes… I hope I never see that look again).
What I can say is that my time in the Philippines was an eye opener on so many levels… Short story… Last September, we visited my fiancee’s hometown and one of the many relatives came up to me with about 5kg of live crabs, all beautifully tied up and ready to cook, asking me to purchase them (She specifically went looking for me). We had just returned from the fish market with plenty of fish and I really did not want to buy anything, but this little old lady standing in front of me holding these crabs… The sight of her there just told me I had to buy them. I looked around for my fiancee for guidance, and not speaking any Ibanag, I just gave her the money (Don’t remember how much, but not a large amount, perhaps 500 pesos). When my fiancee came around a few minutes later, I gave her the crabs and explained what happened. She told me, “John, she did not catch thos crabs… She bought them at the market we were just at.” I was a little peeved, as I thought she was one of the fishermen in town. I was told, “You did the right thing… You don’t understand… That money just bought enough rice for her to eat for a week.” How could something like that not make an impression?
Hi John, I really like to thank you for your touching and long comment. Your story from the market also happened to me several times. And,I am pretty sure, “smoke and mirrors” happened in all countries worldwide. Sometimes more, sometimes not so. We never ever know the truth. I wish you and your partner good luck for the future, especially for your move to the Philippines. Take care, best wishes…