By Telly G. Ocampo
The Vanishing Craftsmen and Entrepreneurial Spirit
I was touched by the editorial of last Sunday’s edition of The Bohol Tribune: “Sayonara to Bohol’s entrepreneurial spirit.”
Indeed addition of malls here is not a healthy indicator of economic growth and development.
As I go around Tagbilaran nowadays, I miss the presence of repairmen for watches, shoes, bags, etc.
I may sound jurrasic for clinging on to the days of my distant past, but the scenes of those days stand firm until today in terms of economic growth for the family.
Before, when we had our store in Tagbilaran near the Agora, there was a repairman who paid us a rent of 2pesos per day except Sundays. His small mobile repair shop was strategically placed along the entrance of our store. He worked from Monday to Saturday because we never opened on Sundays. Just like our store, he also opened his “shop” until 12 noontime, would rest for 2 hours and entertain customers back at 2 p.m. He was from our hometown Baclayon and what was (and still is) admirable about this man was his being family-oriented. Everyday before going home from, he would allot P10 for food. Kung mahal ang isda, sarisari and miki would suffice. Ang isdang tamban niadtong panahona, tag P10 lang ang matag kilo. Ang bolinaw, takson lang pinaagi sa gitawag namo ug sudlanan sa “Caltex”. Bolinaw matag “Caltex” ang palit. Barato ra gyud. The wife of the repairman worked part time. Gawas nga motabang siya sa mga trabaho-on sa balay sa iyang amo, ang lain niya nga trabaho mao ang pag dispuga ug mga sinina. Her seamstress was a local and renowned lady. Both the repairman and the wife invested in their children’s education. And now, years after, while I was going around the countryside in the hills of Baclayon, I saw a beautiful house built from the fruit of the labor of their children’s education.
In my tour on the hills of Baclayon I saw that the ubihan is gone. Why? It is because many families who sold their farmland to give way to a subdivision. Yes, they became rich overnight only to realize that they ended up back to their former economic standing. Then, they chose to work in malls.
And then, there is this operation isda. Will this project really help in the long run? How about giving a rest to our seas? Old fishermen know when the time is nga tingbihod. Ug tingbihod gani, dili angay nga ang mga kujog pagakuhaon kay modagko pa kini sila ug mahimong danggit ug kitong. This is just like our shores in Baclayon. Kaniadto, daghan kaayong lumot among makita sa hunasan. And now they are nowhere in sight.
If it is economic growth that we want, we must have a very good agricultural base. That’s where government must step in to provide programs for sustainable agriculture. As each LGU now has its agriculturist and bantay dagat team, these people
have to change the mindset. They have to bring back the entrepreneurial spirit of our citizens.
Yes, bring back the entrepreneurial spirit of the Boholanos. Do not destroy this spirit by bringing in the Goliaths in the business industry. The craftsmen of Bohol are slowly vanishing. Are you trying to totally eradicate them from civilization?