Just this morning, I have a plate of “Le morceau de la vergogne” — that piece of shame, untouched. I would have shamed myself by taking it. Well, at first I felt guilty having a leftover. But at second thought, it’s worth it to do just like that – leaving that shame piece alone.
A little backstory may help. I had my short personal errand this morning outside my hut, and at the end of the rope, I found myself at a fastfood and ordered a combo meal, with extra rice. In a world full of extras and unlis, it isn’t bad to join the bandwagon. Yes, we have unlitext/unlicall which isn’t unlimited at all, unli rice at Mang Inasal, unli iced tea, and the latest – unli bigas because of the unlimited supply of imported rice which flooded in local markets today.
So it was an extra rice, huh! That simply explained it. I just couldn’t take it all because I was full. I had an unintentional leftover, just as anybody would have thought. But it has a deeper significance, at least for me.
What is a “piece of shame”, anyway? It’s usually the last piece of food left on a plate. In family gatherings or even at parties, people are hesitant to touch that piece for fear they would be seen as greedy. Tradition would have it, that the shame piece is regarded as a sense of consideration for a guest who may be hungrier or one arriving late in a gathering. It is a thought that there is always food for them.
Along that line, my piece of shame is dedicated to our Pinoy RICE FARMERS. A simple act of consideration that I HAVE SOMETHING FOR THEM. Just a simple thought that I hope may count. My piece of shame is for our dear farmers who buy everything at retail, yet sell palay at wholesale at a very low price. To Pinoy rice farmers who suffer as foreign rice floods the local market. To Pinoy rice farmers who are already bankrupt due to exploitative relationships. Recently, there are even worries of domino effect since according to local news sources, there are some rice traders who stopped buying local palay. It might affect the rice milling industry. And since not plenty of palay would have been milled, there might be lesser “darak” that may directly or indirectly affect the poultry and pork industry. That may eventually affect the prices of manok and baboy in the market. Holy Merlin forbids that Pinoy muggles might be caught in a Wingardium Leviosa and Petrificus Totalus double spells, petrified and unguarded! Not until something might be done or somebody may intervene.
Farming is not just a job, it’s a family business. The farmer’s wife cooks, delivers meals to her husband working in the field. And there’s always hired men to ensure crops comes off. George Washington once said, “I would rather be on my farm, than become an emperor of the world.” In a statement, Bill and Imelda Gates Foundation quoted, “Investments in agriculture are the best weapons against hunger and poverty, and they made life better for billions of people.” Meanwhile, you may not find this in your Bible, but someone brilliantly put a narrative on the Genesis of the Farmer this way – “God looked down on the earth He created and said, “I need a caretaker for this world I made.” And so, God made a farmer.” That’s how important farmers are.
It is a given fact that farmers don’t just work until the sun goes down. They work in hectares, not in hours. No matter what time is it, doesn’t matter if the weather is giving chills, or taking away his sweat, he works day and night until the job gets done. Rice farming is a profession of hope, a way of life – all for every grain of rice.
Having all things considered, as citizen Alvin, I presume this would not have been my last shame piece until all is well to all Pinoy rice farmers who may be hungrier than I am. To Pinoy rice farmers who are hungry for their cries of help to be heard, waiting for “somebody”, who might be willing to lend his ears and hear their woes and predicament. To Pinoy rice farmers who are not just a piece of statistics, but humans who need a very strong Patronus to get all the Expecto Patronum they need … and deserve!
September 14, 2019
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