The Lion, the Witch and the $3000 Dress

I know the feeling of not eating a cooked rice for days. I've experienced the time when the only food that can be eaten are sweet potatoes and cassava; and it had me craved for the presence of cooked rice during meals. That's when I was in the mountains in the province of Kalinga harvesting coffee.

Two days ago I watched a documentary shown by GMA-7 and it was about the problem that our beloved Philippines is facing right now, rice shortage! I've seen how our countrymen are working hard just to have food placed on the table for their families. Starvation should not be taken for granted, it is not a burden that we could easily erradicate. Even before the rice shortage problem had conquered our country, starvation is already a plague. It's like a lion roaring loud, cannot be stopped and ready to rip lives. From north to south of the entire archipelago, poverty is present. I just feel bad everytime I am hearing a news regarding the government claiming that our economy is stable and that the current president should be credited for this. Credited for what? I know that the government is doing something to rectify the problems that our country have but that 'something' is not enough.

The Philippines is the home of the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) and some of the world's best agricluture schools but are we not wondering why we are the world's top rice importer? IRRI have educated a lot of international agriculturists and scientists and they were able to apply their gained knowledge in their respective countries but why can't we not apply it here? What are we lacking? Are we lacking good governance? The government is supposed to be by the people and for the people right?

Last night I watched the news and there was a feed about president Gloria Macapagal Arroyo gracing the National Science and Technology Week celebrations and she had talked about her $3000 dress designed by a Filipino fashionista. She was so proud of that clothing that costs about PhP134,000.00. That value could buy about 6,000 kilos of rice and could feed a number of people. Starving people below the poverty line.

The problems and burdens happening in our country cannot be denied; no matter what we do to hide them under a mask of imaginary claims they will still be there. This is the reality that we must face. This is life.