--Carl Ace R. Parilla
When God decided where to bestow the bounty, their ancestors were so lucky being one of the chosen. For centuries, the rightful receivers proved their worth. They calloused their hands by toiling at day and steeled their heels dancing at nights. But when the white conquerors came, and shifted their fidelity to another God, it seemed that they also change their identity: from LANDLORDS to TENANTS.
Finally, the once green leaves of our little cornfield turned brown and dry, thus, its harvest time! This morning, I went with my grandpa to the farm and I enjoyed seeing people harvesting our crop. I can’t stop on thinking that a part of this would be spent for my books, a part for my shoes, and a part for my dream laptop. How silly, as if I even own a part of it! Later, sun rays oozed sweat down my face, and my eyebrows nearly met due to high heat. But in this certain moment when I can’t think of anything lovely to ease my distress, as my eyes continually stare the harvesters who seemed to be long affable with the heat, one realization stirred my senses: they actually own this land, as in legally own this land, yet, their harvesting our yield! What an irony.
I remembered in our history class, it was discussed that Rizal once wrote a series of essays entitled The Indolence of the Filipinos. Rizal has noticed that Filipinos of his time are indolent, or lazy. But he believes that the indolence is the effect of the backwardness and troubles experienced by the Philippines at that time. But as an observant citizen, no one can deny that even if this honored country at present is as free as its conquerors, indolence among Filipino masses is as apparent as skies about to rain.
Rizal and even the grade 6 students know that ancient Filipinos are seafaring people, and long before westerners knew that Earth is spherical, our forefathers were already carrying out trades, and they’re much into agriculture and mining. Its true to say that they aren’t indolent but actually, hardworking people. However, when Spaniards came and ruled, they eventually changed the dated culture of the Filipino people.
When the whole world was anticipating for liberty, the sole oriental Spanish colony stuck on the medieval way of living. Spaniard-owned haciendas were plowed by the indios. Sadly, these indios are actually the descendants of the real landlords. Well, that’s not indolence, for the Spaniards stole their right to toil their own soil.
However, I guess Rizal hadn’t viewed it wrong. I must be too wrong if I say that these people who are harvesting our crops planted in their lot are all indolent, for they’re showing much hardship just to earn by their labor. But if you view it logically, and as a standing witness, I must be correct in my own reasoning.
First, they lend their piece of soil to us in a reasonable price, but did they use it for reasonable expenses? Just like most of our neighbors, when they gain money, might be from work or what, they would celebrate and buy Tanduay every after a Tanduay, a pack of cigars every after a pack of cigars. They’d drink and spend money over the night, and the next morning, they’d buy sardines for breakfast, at noon, dried fish, and at end of the day, noodles for supper. Now you ask me, what’s so wrong with it? They’re just having fun like any other earning people! I tell you, I might have a young mind and experienced nothing about adults’ reality, but at least I know something about right and wrong. They drink to death like they got a lot of bucks, but they can’t even buy their kids a good pair of slippers. Well, that’s the least case of scenario, because everything worst follows. They spend for fun and kids will have nothing to eat at school. Then eventually, they would stop learning, and more eventually, if he’s a boy, he’ll end up drunkard and sabongero. In other hand, if the kid is a girl, she’ll also end up drunkard, disco girl, and at the end of the parade, a pregnant youngster.
Rizal was right as saying, we are not lazy, were just contented with our way of living. And that makes me sad. That severe contentment kills every child’s dream. Some of them claim “we people don’t have the right to education. We are poor. We can’t afford our dreams”. With all due respect, let me say this: THAT’S INSANE! Education in our country is served cheap. Who says they can’t afford? Money? If they just dream, they would look onto handfuls of opportunities provided for them; they just need to stand for it. In the case of our harvesters, if they would just want to prosper, they should have invested to their land with the aid of Agricultural Loans of some rural banks. There is also a monthly aid given by the Local Government Unit to the indigenous people, and instead of using the money for things unnecessary, they always have the option to use it to start a small business.
For real, I envy these people. They were born infants meant to grow into men best fit to toil the land. They were the people who don’t need to be a millionaire first before they can own hectares of land because long before they were born, a piece of Earth already belongs to them. They got the assistance of government where the taxes of big earners go. And most of all, it’s a lot easier for them to get rich (just like my native neighbors who used their land well) because of the fact that our country’s economy is basically agricultural. They just have to work not for partial happiness but for a long term happiness earned by dreaming for the best.
As a common saying goes, “Future belongs to the people who prepares for it today”. I believe that these people, who worked for us, and even the whole Filipino race, are not indolent. They just lack the determination, the push, the urge, to dream further. I know, it’s hard to dream, actually, no one gets success overnight. It takes courage, passion, determination, and will. But most of all, dreaming requires no indolence. So strive hard, and dreams will come true!
