VIEWPOINTS
Hear the cries of our
FARMERS by Eykaey Tadiosa, Philippines
I
am here in the hospital with my grandmother. She has an unstable angina, and a realisation came to me, that I should renew my license as a registered nurse even though I am a pastor. At first, I thought that not renewing my license is fine because I am not always practicing my nursing skills, but something needs to be continued. I need to save lives. Last ecclesial year 2018 until 2019, I was an intern administrative pastor assigned to two United Church of Christ in the Philippines’ churches, a mother and daughter church. As a church, they are different in dynamics and 27km away from each other but share the same needs. As I stayed in the daughter church in a very remote area where it took for me a 3-4 hour walk just to visit the houses of the congregation, I saw and heard their different stories and cries. I had the opportunity to experience living with them, working with them. Sadly, on the current situation of this province, their livelihood as coconut and palay (pre-husked rice) farmers was affected by the low copra and palay prices. Their hope on coconut and palays as their source of income gradually decreases. It was so sad to see that due to this, no one would like to spend time in the agricultural field. Many couldn’t finish their studies because their families could no longer can afford their expenses in school. Many of the youths are leaving their rural communities and looking for jobs in the urban industrial area. Because farming cannot sustain the needs of the family, the parents just let their children marry at a young age. And I think this is one of the factors in the Philippines where we have so many young mothers aged 14-15 especially in the rural areas. Many would say that living in the rural area is better than living in the city but “simple living” shouldn’t be a definition of being inhumane to farmers. We should give them what is right and what should rightly be theirs. We shouldn’t take advantage of their weaknesses because they weren’t able to study besides learning to count, to write their name and to read in our native language. They are really kind, generous, hospitable and loving people. They know how to care for and feed people even though I knew they have nothing.
44 | INSiGHT
