Praying for the rain!
It’s been quite some time that we haven’t had the rain tapping on our rooftop. Bisan ug sound na lang. It’s not only the tapping that we miss, but, also the panacea for the humidity that is almost unbearable. In my 78 years, this is the first time I feeling the heat despite the trees surrounding my abode.
But what I’m worried the most is how long we can survive the heat. Plants are getting dry. Water is becoming scarce and most of all, my feeling of having less and less water to drink and food to eat (for humans and animals) is getting real. Added to this is the African Swine Fever. God have mercy on us! How can we ever cope with all the scarcities in this world? Is money included in the equation? OF COURSE!
And to think that there is flooding on the other side of the world vis a vis the severe dry season we are in now. Can you see the crops and the rivers bowing down to the heat of the sun? And there’s an export limitation on rice in India and Vietnam. Would that mean rice can reach 100 pesos per kilo? Unsaon naman pagkaon ni Juan de la Cruz? Gilansang na gyud ug exacto ang mga tawo.
I thought Covid has taught us many lessons. That would have been an opportune time for us to plant vegetables so we could bring food to our tables. Salamat na lang pud kay dunay kamunggay planted all over my place. Paboboan gyud naho kanunay aron dili mangamatay. Unsa pa may gamiton naho sa LINAW-OY. Wala gyud naho pasagdi ang mga tanglad (lemon grass) for my morning tea with ginger. But my luy-a is not yet ripe for the picking. Kanunay pud nahong estoryahon ang mga atsal, kalabasa, ug alugbati.
I always remind, too, my househelpers to conserve water as its level has gone low. AND RICE, TOO. I remember in the 70’s that we had to gueue for NFA RICE, at the onset of Martial Law. But the rice shortage then was artificial. What with the rationalizing industries: copra, sugar, and rice? But the scarcity of water is REAL, not articial. WE ARE PRAYING FOR RAIN. We really have to think of the situation we are facing now. Everything seems uncertain. Kinsa ra may makakaon ug tarong karon? Kadto ra gyud ang mga dollar and foreign currency earners. Makaluluoy gyud tang ordinary citizens whose pension is never enough to make both ends meet.
If only our economy could go back to a strong agricultural base; to a strong family orientation; to good value system; perhaps mihusayhusay ang atong dapit. But our foci have switched on to the everyday buy bust oeration; to the “Miss’Miss” competition; to the sports competitions. Its about time for us to pray for the rain and pray for Mother Earth. And pray for the well being of our future generation. We should also pray for the silence in our midst. As what Bishop Abet Uy said this morning: “The world is full of disturbing noises, that we could not find silence in our prayer.”
YES, LET US PRAY FOR RAIN!
