Article no:12

June 04,2022

We went to the Supermarket yesterday to replenish some stocks for our little variety store. After consecutive days of raining, oh boy! the sun was shining so bright and the heat was like from a burning coal and we are being grilled like barbeque. We are running away from the parking lot to go inside the supermarket as fast as we can.

My 5 year old son though was laughing so hard as we ran . He thought we were just having a race , not mindful of the heat but rather enjoying our day out. What a nice attitude to adopt huh? Focusing on your purpose and not on the hurdles along the way. His reaction made me smile, and his dad and elder sister look at each other and smile too.

As we exited the supermarket , a disabled woman with short hair is seated on the floor. Just a few steps away from the exit door. She's asking for little alms. My husband handed her a small amount before we proceeded at the parking lot. Then suddenly , it's raining. What a crazy weather we have right now.

We took another glance of the woman and felt pity on her. My son asked me if she'll be going home too , now that it is raining. Asking me if the little amount we gave her would be enough to buy her food. Will she be ok, mom? To cut the conversation short. I told him that " with Gods loving grace , she'll be fine son. There's actually a pinch in my heart telling him that coz im not sure either if she's really be fine. Anyway im really hoping she would.

Sad Truth

I watched a documentary where people in slum areas of Metro Manila scavenge garbage sites and collect leftover food thrown away by restaurants or fastfood chains from all over the city. They washed the food (like fried chicken) and cooked it again adobo style or refry it. This serve as their meal for the day. What was trash from them serve as treasure for those people. It helped them to survive hunger. They call it "Pagpag".

According to Wikipedia ; Pagpag is the Tagalog term for leftover food from restaurants scavenged from garbage sites and dumps. Pagpag food can also be expired frozen meat or fish or vegetables discarded by supermarkets and scavenged in garbage trucks. Pagpag literally means " to dust of dirt or to shake off the dust".

Realization

Can we blame them for doing so? No matter how dangerous it is , they could be poison and get sick but they dont have a choice. They need to survive and fill their empty stomach.

At first, i thought it was only scrap things that they could still use or sell that they are scavenging but i was shocked to learn that they are doing the same with leftover food.

A bit ashamed of myself that i was complaining of the heat , yet there are people without even a roof to shelter them from the heat and rain.

Seeing youtubers doing mukbang as if all the food on their table was not enough to make them full , yet there are people from the other side of the world that don't even have a single bread to partake.

Im wasting water from my faucet , keeping it open while brushing my teeth. Yet some of them don't even have access to basic necessities such as clean water.

How miserable is miserable for them?

What seem a wound for us maybe just a scracthed for them. They would probably shrugg it off.

A callused feet that send some of us to spas salon is just a normal set of feet for them for always walking barefoot.

Our rant for being hungry coz we don't have snack for today , for them hunger means not eating for days.

Our discomfort due to warm weather inside our own houses is too little discomfort for they are out most of the time , under the sun to look for food.Most likely no home to rest upon at night. No roof to protect them from the pouring rain.

According to the recent news. The DOF or Department of Finance in the Philippines stated that the next administration needs to make great efforts in reducing the poverty incidence in the country because it is accelerated due to more than two year pandemic. The new elected leaders would take over the major problems of high poverty rate of the land.

Final thoughts

In our own little ways , how are we going to help our leaders in combatting poverty?. How are we going to help the needy ones? How are we going to lessen their burden?

I am grateful with the simple life we have. We are teaching our children to be kind. We are working hard to earn money to provide for our needs and not rely on what our government can give. We give base on our capacity to give. That way , we will not be a burden to the community.

Hoping that our next leaders do their best to atleast lessen the poverty level. Provide solutions and give poor people access to livelihood programs that will support their lives. Enough employment for them to earn and have access to their basic necessities. Praying and hoping for a better country. Godbless our leaders.

Thank you for reading,

and for my dearest sponsor @Talecharm thank you as always!

grey23 espartinas