Have you ever been to the countryside? Or are you currently living there? How was your experience during your stay?
My Hometown
I was born in the countryside of Pontevedra, Negros Occidental, Philippines but I was raised in the City of Bacolod. My parents are farmers and farming is the only source of food and money. My parents plant rice, sugarcane, and other vegetables. They are also raising pigs, carabao, chickens, and ducks. Everything there is fresh and the place is peaceful.
What are the advantages of living in the countryside?
Fewer expenses
If you are going to live in the countryside, you can save up a lot of money because you don't have to buy vegetables, other spices, chickens, and eggs. You just have to pick those in your backyard and deliver them to your kitchen. Water is also free when you own a spring water well or a water pump. You can sell your products also if you want.
Fresh and Healthier Environment
It is much healthy living in the countryside since it is less polluted. You can breathe fresh air. You can eat fresh foods and fruits. The water you drink there is also fresh since it is spring water. It has no chemicals like mineral, alkaline, and purified water that is being sold in the city.
Peaceful Place
Unlike the city, you can barely hear noises from cars or people there in the countryside. Since the place is far from highways but if it is near, vehicles there are minimal than in the city. Houses are also very far apart from each other. You can call your neighbors there in the next 0.5 kilometers away from your house. So, even if you shout, no one will pick a fight with you or scold you for being so noisy.
A Safe Haven
Our place is far from the sea and is 2 to 3 hours away (ride on a bus) from the mountains. If the storm comes the mountains shield us, and we're far from tsunamis. If it also rains hard, our place would not easily get flooded because we're in the higher areas, and trees are also everywhere to absorb the water. Lastly, we're safe from Covid-19 (😁) because our place isn't crowded with people and houses there have social distancing.
Disadvantages of Living In The Countryside
Lower Rate Wages
When you work at the malls or grocery stores there, wages are far different from the city. Like in Manila the minimum wage is Php 500 while in the province, the minimum wage is Php 395. Sometimes in rural areas, the wages are not even reaching the minimum wage. They just got 200 or 250 a day.
Lesser Opportunities
In rural areas, there aren't many facilities and buildings that people can explore and apply for work to utilize their skills. That's why even if it's further from their homes, people still chose to work in the city. Moreover, courses offered in colleges are limited. If the courses are not offered there, students move to the city to enroll in the courses they want to learn.
Poor Transportation
Homes are farther from the highways and vehicles are limited. There is just a schedule they follow to travel. They would just go out starting at 5 am and the last ride at 5 pm. They would not even go if it isn't full of passengers already, so you have to wait for a few minutes.
My Final Thoughts
Wherever you are living right now, it depends on you on where you want to be. Urban or rural, if it is your home, that is where you belong. Though, it is nice to take a vacation in the countryside sometimes to unwind ourselves a little. All places can be beautiful if we just know how to take care of them.
