This the lead paragraph of a recent story in the Philippine Daily Inquirer: More than half of Filipino families rated themselves poor, according SWS survey conducted March 26 to 29. How come despite the abundance of our lands and seas there are still families spending the nights with their growling stomachs? Is it because of indolence or is it because of corruption in government? Take your pick.
This I recall. When I was growing up in my hometown of Porac, most of my playmates were sons and daughters of farmers. Consequently, most of them became farmers too. There was not much choice for them. There was only one high school, and that is St.Catherine Academy which stands until today in the poblacion area. In my high school days my classmates were from far away barangays, like Hacienda Dolores, Balubad, Pulung Santol, Mitla and Pio. They have to endure the weather, sometimes heavy rains or scorching heat of the sun as they walked kilometers just to attend school. Many dropped school to help the family tending the farms. But several also made it big time in business. Space is lacking to name them here.
I grew up in an agricultural town of Porac till high school. After my graduation The town is the largest in Pampanga and in my youth and up until now it is sparsely populated despite property developers like Ayala Land Inc. already made investments. Large areas were planted to sugar, palay and some vegetables then. Few meters away from our house was the beautiful deep Porac river. That portion of the Porac- Gumain river continues to flow passing through Florida Blanca town till today. During those years it was by my estimate to be 15 feet deep and all the kids in town learned to swim there.
Porac’s resident depended largely from it vast agricultural lands. Hectares after hectares dotted the roads going to Florida Blanca . Second largest was its rice fields. Farmers in those years were simply happy and contented in whatever decent incomes they get from the soil. I remember farmers who sold their palay to the only rice mill in our town owned by my cousin the late Servillana Lumanlan David. After getting paid for their produce, some proceeded to my mother’s carinderia which was just across the street and got their fill there. I heard many of their stories. They talked mostly of their tenancy problems but nonetheless happy with the support from agencies of government. This was during the administration of President Diosdado Macapagal aka Apung Dadong.
TIDBITS: The motorists can thank the tandem of Congressman Jonjon and Mayor Pogi Lazatin why we have good roads in Angeles City...Meanwhile, we can call the attention of Congressman Dong Gonzales to pour some of his pork barrels to repair the Angeles-San Fernando MacArthur highway stretch. An asphalt overlay will do. District Engineer Almer Miranda assured me that the Paning Bridge in Calibutbut will be finished before the end of May...If only the combined forces of Land Transportation Office, Local police , Highway Patrol Group and traffic enforcers will enforce traffic laws there will be sanity and less accidents on our main highways. Trikes, kolong kolong and motorbikes racing on the roads are common scenes. Parang walang lang naman sa mga enforcers, di ba?