I was discussing with a friend a week ago and she informed me that the price of rice she normally buys increased by 1€. Me who doesn't really pay attention to this detail shrugged. Anyway, I consume my 10 kilo sack of rice in a span of probably 4 months.
My father cultivates a small piece of land, enough for us to have a supply all year round and a little amount to sell for extra income. My family won't be hungry. I have my peace of mind.
But what about those who eat rice three times a day? Those who regard it as a sort of means of survival? Those who prepare it as a porridge so every hungry mouth could have a taste of dinner? Like for a lot of poor families in the Philippines, for example?
I don't even have the courage to ask mercy from God - like most of the Filipinos do. We could always pray but rice will not fall from heaven. Nasa Diyos and awa, nasa tao ang gawa. Does the government have any measure to save our nation from starvation?
I was actually about to blog how prices soared high here in France. The skyrocketing price of gasoline is taking its toll. It's effect starts to reflect on our everyday lives. Like a disease slowly propagating in our system, it's now attacking to our basic needs - food.
But in France, the government distributes financial aid to less-priviledged families. They apply some measures to control prices. Prices are indexed to the average wages of the people. I mean, one could still live a life - probably close to survival - but they survive.
I've read that even NFA rice has joined the bandwagon. But in the Philippines, everything is expensive. Clothing, jeepney fare, rice, galunggong, probably even kangkong..
An example: My sister's paying P1000 for a monthly subscription on DSL internet connection. And that includes phone line. I pay 30€ (P1950 at P65 to 1€) for my DSL (with Wifi) connection which includes phone line with illimited calls to France metropolitan and to over 70 countries worldwide plus cable TV. And I was told that her connection was a good deal based on what's being offered there. Hayyy.. and I complain that prices are too expensive here..
13 years ago
17 comments:
true, it's becoming more and more difficult. there is no ideal situation, we can only make do with what we have. we cannot rely on our government to take care of us--we need a revolution, to start from the basic structure, the family, the barangay, even perhaps a spiritual revolution. but this will take some time. in the meantime, as i have said, we have to make do with what we have, and yes--a lot of people suffer in the process. hope? it's the only thing we can cling on.
tell your sister in the philippines to get in touch with me, i still have writing projects that can give extra income to our fellow countrymen. it will at least subsidize the internet connection, ha ha ha
hope all's well with you and family, i have not bloghopped for a while as i was too busy with so many things.
We use basmati rice and we consume about a kilo a week. That's why until now, i still don't know how much rice is because we don't use much. Just the other day, i went to Lidl and bought jasmine rice. 79p (roughly Php70) a kilo. Not bad for British pound but very bad for Php! No wonder why a lot of pinoys are trying to flee from pinas.
Sexy Mom, they're lazy writers.. they even hardly email me lol.
Soy, yeah, as in pahirap na daw talaga ng pahirap mag-survive dun :(
I am back ! Prices everywhere are rising up except for the salary! But we can still fight against this by working and at the same time having for a sideline :D! Konting bisnis baga !
naka usap ko si mama and I told her to stop telling me those sad stories it makes my heartbreaks talaga as in!
it says sa news na rice price will be stable daw next month. how i wish kasi kawawa naman yung ibang tao na mahirap talaga.alam mo naman satin rice talaga breakfast lunch dinner and even snacks kaya for sure daming affected sa pinas.
pano ba para mabuntis?sus mga pinay na nakilala ko puro na buntis, ako na lang ang ende pa huhuh
hi.. care to xlinks? i'll be adding you now. hope you add me too.. :) thnx..
http://emotional-feeling.blogspot.com
Nakakatawa yung ost ni fancine.
Depressing na usapan about "ang mahal na ng bigas", then isingit:
pano ba mag buntis!
maryones!
yung internet connection, 1000pesos pero personal yun.
Sa business ko 6000pesos kasi business connection.Imagine, nearly 100euros!
I think, if tayong mga abroad, try to invest in phils for a business for our family, baka makatulong sa pamilya, than us all the time sending them money to feed them.
i started with internet cafe bec my daughter is an STI student for a year and she wanted to have that shop.i invest huge, one time,for five years now.
We can motivate skills of our family to start their own business than begging from us all the time.
If we can support of course.
kasi 1500€ a month salary in France, 500€ is sent to phils monthly, how can a pinay survive herein France!?
Haze, yeah, for those who have the means. what about for those who just collects basura around the neighboorhood, the magbabalut, yung may dalang kariton na nagrerepare ng payong.. how could they survive with these prices? magnakaw?
even lower middle class families are greatly affected.. hayy.. u know, when im on work travel and i talk to hotel drivers, they are dressed correctly but wow, if you just listen to how they survive their everyday lives..
Marichu, even if you're mom doesn't tell you a word, it's in the news. I first knew about it from an officemate, that's why i checked phil news.. but yes, i dont keep up with all the news nga, kakaasar lang.
Francine, oh yes, i forgot about the merienda pa pala, puro kakanin lol.
re: buntis. why not consult a doctor if you think there's a problem somewhere? hmmm, kami, nabuo si louna when laurent was always in thailand, as in two weeks dito, two weeks doon. itong pangalawa naman, nabuo nung si laurent e laging nasa boston.. we're probably excited to see each other hehe.. try to space haha..
Iking, done ;)
Francesca, totally agree with you. i don't cultivate dependence too.. a lot of our fellow pinoys send a lot of money in the phils and pansin ko lang, well, sa mga nakita ko lang naman, i dont generalize, medyo tamad mag aral at mag trabaho yung mga yun since they know na me darating na pera naman, that's too sad.
My Dad is a driver and he did worked hard so I know what is life being a poor :D! We graduated all from University (not the best but satisfying schools) got our diplomas, thanks to my parents optimism and hardwork. It doesn't necessarily mean big capital I have some aunties and uncles who are farmers in the province but they were able to send their kids in the University. Some people are able to plant seeds (fruits, veggies) and sell them in the market. It's just a matter of ATTITUDE! Like I've said in my previous post even the poor have their own cellphone I guess they just need to live a simple life depends on their revenue and what they have. Makikita mo magbabalot, basurero, etc pero tingnan mo they have their colored TV at home! I have witnessed this because passing by squatters area in Ilog Pasig separating the district of Makati, Pasig and Mandaluyong I have seen people in their little house with colored tv, fridge, karaoke etc! I've worked in the hotel industry for almost 6 yrs. drivers are well paid meron pang tip! Minsan kasi yung iba FRONT lang but in reality they can live a simple life without asking for more! It's good to dream big but there are choices and sacrifices to be made ! Think of what essential in daily consumption.
I didn't express my opinion about this because I just came from a long travel but this is a good subject Ana !
the rice problem is becoming bigger by the day.
Sad thing is, the government couldn't do much ( or doesn't really want to move their A$$).
Oo nga,ang taas na ngayon ng bigas,sa Davao,38 pesos ang magandang bigas.Ang laki talaga ng increase,lahat halos ng pamilihin tsaka ang gasolina din,walang sawa sa pagtaas :(
I thought prices will go down coz peso is much stronger now pero wala din :(
Pamilya at relatives ko nga umaangal talaga kasi lahat tumataas pero ang sweldo eh ang baba pa din plus ang hirap din humanap ng work.Hay buhay!
We phoned up my father in law and asked him about the rice as its all over the net - Blogs, forums and other Filipino sites. Aside from the usual hoarding of insensitive crook business men/women, he said its also a "diversion tactic" of politicians. Diverting attention to rice shortage to cover up their craft and curruption stunts. Oh well...
We're all in recession. Just like one of my blogpost, we paid more than 1000 euros for our city services and thats 60,000 pesosesss. Minus phone/internet and electricity. And, all was because of the INCREASE imposed as a result of inflation. Hay buhay...
Makes me guilty though, complaining sometimes when we're luckier than people who relieves an empty stocmach with sleep.
Tell ma about it! My Aunt called me yesterday and asked if I bought rice yet and informed me that the usual $12.00 for a 25 lb is now $20.00 ! Grabe! I was so shocked!
It's so sad, the plight of those who are in the Phil. In fact there was an article 2 days ago about the rice shortage and poverty in the Phil. I was teary eyed as I was reading the article. :(
Haze, I hear you. There certainly is a problem of priorization of what's essential and what's not in the Philippines. And I really hate that everybody has to have cellphones and wear branded clothes. But that's another story.
Life in the Philippines has changed and evolved and has gone too expensive. Let's take a simple family living a simple life, putting their children's education as a priority. Noon, P1.50 lang ang pamasahe, ngayon P7.50 na. Noong nag-umpisa akong mag aral, my tuition fee was around P15,000 a year. Now, in the same school, the latest news I heard is that, tuition fee cost P100,000 a year. Whoa! If I was still working in the Phils, baka di ko na mapag-aral anak ko in the same school! Salary has not multiplied as much in that span of time. So how to cope up?
My parents, just like your parents, really worked hard to send every children to school. My parents, both teachers, both worked part-time as insurance agents while managing our rice field. They never went to Manila while we were students kasi sayang ang pamasahe. Our house stayed half-done during that time. We never entertained the word luxury. Most of the family's income was sent to Manila to pay appartment rent, water, phone and electricity bills (no we didn't have cellphones), tuition fees and monthly allowances. But know what, I can't imagine them living the same simple life they had before if ever they're still sending their kids to school today. Everything has just gone up.
And yes, the driver. Apparently, things had changed in that domain too. Most of the hotels take their drivers in agencies so no engagement. Pwedeng palitan anytime. In case of accidents, they have to pay a part of the expenses too.. but yes, he also told me that he's sending his kids to private pre-school (as in mahal) - so I told him, I didn't even attended pre-school, graduated in public school from a small barrio, I don't think you need to spend that much for pre-school esp when once you're on a job interview, they'll ask you from which university you were and never from which pre-school...but well, time has changed, yan ang uso dun...
duke, i think it's more of the second ..
Amor, quite depressing nga..
lovelyn, dito naman, they've got a lot of proposals but walang pumapasa as they're trying to save in one point to the detriment of the other.. im waiting for a law to pass wherein i will save on nanny salary.. abangan..
Greymom, grabe, that's quite too much nga. and we're complaining for a 1€ raise here.
to that point? tsk tsk.
Post a Comment