To see a nation in a grain of rice

An English poet — William Blake – once remarked that a world could be seen in a grain of sand. Paraphrasing him, a nation too – our very own nation – might be discerned in a grain of rice.

Half a century ago, even poor Filipinos could rest assured that the grains in their ganta of rice were mostly whole. They did not have to splurge come Christmas on costly milagrosa or kinanda rice to have this assurance. The common varieties of wagwag, laon, intan and elon-elon could be trusted to have whole grains of rice. Thus, as they partook of their daily fare, poor people manage to nurture some semblance of dignity as they coped with their poverty. Decent, wholesome rice was a readily available consolation and a common observation reflected much of the poor’s gratefulness: Maayos lamang ang kanin ay hindi na baleng di masarap ang ulam.

Now, as 2003 draws to a close, a most striking thing is that locally-grown rice comes with mostly broken grains, milled in such a way as to have them broken in two or more sections. Neither the country’s more expensive dinorado or sinandomeng nor the least expensive, government-trafficked, NFA varieties escape this shattered fate. In contrast, imported American (California), Japanese, Korean and Thai rice – all premium rice well beyond the poor people’s capability to buy – appear to have much more grain integrity than the local varieties.

Cracked rice grains are but a sign of the disintegration many Filipinos suffer in their personal and national lives. On account of feckless governance by largely self-serving leaders, the nation’s polity has been afflicted with oligarchic rule, increasingly severe regime challenges and much political divisiveness. The economy has been vulnerable to periodic boom-bust cycles with little prospects of sustained economic growth or, factoring in vital equity considerations, long-term, enduring development.

The polity, the economy and the greater society reflect unusually high levels of inefficiency, non-competitiveness, graft and corruption, lawlessness, criminality and popular distrust. Local as well as international studies have regularly charted these negative conditions and their inimical effects on the country’s political governance, public finance, economic competitiveness and social well-being. Neither government nor the other lead institutions of Philippine society appear able to reverse a historical trend that pushes the country into greater and more critical difficulties.

Driven by lack of opportunities for gainful employment, frustrated by much injustice within their society, and increasingly desperate for a better life for themselves and their families, millions of educated and skilled Filipinos have joined a diaspora that inevitably leaves the country with a grossly depreciated human resource base.

Millions more of less-skilled and unskilled Filipinos try to follow those who have already left as domestics, construction workers, ordinary seamen and the like. To these mostly kapit-sa-patalim people, their suntok-sa-buwan chance for a better life warrants getting into usurious debts, leaving their families and actually often breaking them up and imbedding themselves in alien cultures where numerous risks threaten their physical and psychological survival.

For the even more unfortunate, those countless others who cannot afford a ticket to participate in the seductive lottery that spells working or living abroad, no recourse is left except to remain where they are. Among the not so unlucky, this means being housed in some shelter or hovel that passes for a human habitation, or, if they are truly star-crossed, pacing or bedding the formidable streets of their allegedly strong republic.

Homeless, hungry, in poor health, jobless and increasingly hopeless, these Filipinos increasingly realize that they have nothing to lose but their broken lives should some radical change be provoked and overcome their historically ruthless society.

On Christmas day, they will no longer simply wish "Merry Christmas" among themselves and to other better-situated Filipinos elsewhere. They will demand that Christ be part of their enduring social reality, not the passive icon that awaits the end of history but the activist Christ that chases after money changers and similar vermins of human society.

Millions of Filipinos will not settle anymore for the customary "Happy New Year" greeting. Instead, they will force a coming year to prove itself indeed new and with a reasonably good chance of being properly happy.

These Filipinos, organized and well-led, will make it possible for grains of rice in this country to once more have greater integrity. In those whole grains, this nation’s progress towards a truly wholesome life will be unerringly reflected.

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!