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Tuesday, July 18, 2006
Seares: Make mine an omelette
By Pachico A. Seares
News Sense
People who see “kalabasa” and “kamote” as reliable food sources wince over their use to protest or ridicule.
They need not pout.
Squash of the gourd family serves splendidly as vegetable. “Kamote” as root crop wards off hunger in the countryside during lean months.
Besides being staple food, though, “kalabasa” and “kamote” caricature poor performance.
The shape of “kalabasa” depicts a zero a child may get in school. “Kamote” burrowing into the earth instead of reaching for the sky represents the destination of one’s dreams.
Intent
Mayor Tomas Osmeña once used the “kalabasa” award from City Hall to extract more money from Pagcor.
Last week, activists held aloft a squash and a “kamote” as their rating of Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia’s priorities (crushing communist rebels, over fighting poverty).
They are metaphor or symbolism, not really to demean the food bearing the message.
Look at intent instead and how the instrument of protest works.
Tomas succeeded in wangling a few million pesos more from Pagcor for his favorite projects. But from the ripe bananas she sent to the militants, Gwen is not likely to drop the anti-communist policy.
Well, protesters can try other fare and politicos can respond, without losing temper or humor.
If Gwen were pelted with, say, tomatoes and eggs, she can return fire without skipping a beat: “Will you make mine a tomato omelette, to go?”
For Bisaya stories from Cebu. Click here. (July 18, 2006 issue)
Write letter to the editor.Click here.
Join the Sun.Star message board.Click here. |
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