Why don’t you go home and plant camote?

The late undefeated Cebu City councilor, Atty Florencio “Pensoy” Urot, who was my professor in the UV Gullas Law School, used to insult students who could not answer his very difficult recitation question and interrogation: “If you do not know how to answer my questions, you will never become a lawyer. Why don't you go home to your barrio and plant camote?” Well, as of today, with famine almost coming, planting camote is no longer an insult. It is the most imperative thing to do now.

The problem in Cebu City and in Mandaue, Lapu-Lapu and Talisay, just like in Metro Manila and other urban centers, is that there are too many people from the provinces who are overcrowding the cities and leaving the farms with no young men and women to do agricultural work. The problem with the millennials and even the older ones is that they do not want to work in the fields anymore. They want the conveniences and comforts of the city and stay in the malls, and spend money without earning enough. They all put burdens on the cities and put pressures on the metropolitan centers with their limited facilities and resources, limited spaces, limited housing, limited water. They exacerbate the problems of traffic, sanitation, pollution and even crimes. They put more pressure on the government and its officials who are expected to solve the challenges of housing, health, education and jobs and the problems of crimes, drugs, prostitution and diseases.

Indeed, the problem in our legal system is that there is too much freedom on the part of the people to move from rural areas to urban centers. The government has no power to control the influx of rural migrants and to put limits on the entry of farmers and fisherfolks into the limited job markets in industry and commerce. Education is governed by freedom of choice on the part of students and parents on what courses to take. The government is powerless to control the overcrowding of such white collar job destinations like commerce, medicine, nursing and IT. And there is hardly anyone who still wants to study agriculture, fishery and technical, vocational jobs. That is the root of our socio-economic malady. Too much freedom for the people, too little authority on the part of the government, and yet all the fingers are pointed to government officials.

If I were a constitutional dictator like Marcos during Martial Law, and Cory after EDSA under the Freedom Constitution, I would put a limit to the capacity of any city. I will not allow entry to any urban center, when the new migrant from the province has no pre-arranged decent housing, approved job application, and arrangement for transport, health services and education. If I have to be blamed for the socio-economic problems, then I need to have sufficient authority to govern. The farms should not be allowed to stay idle. I will impose double taxes for any land that are not producing rice, corn, fruits or vegetables. I will not allow couples to have more children than they cannot afford. I will not issue a marriage license to any young future groom or bride who have no permanent jobs nor a bank deposit of at least a million pesos. I will control the population, and I will not allow the church to interfere with government matters.  Well, before you react, don't forget that all these are just wishes or suppositions conditioned on the premise: if I were a dictator.

Why don't jobless people in the cities start packing up and return to their native land, and start tilling the soil then plant camote? You cannot solve starvation by complaining  and demanding for ayuda. Take responsibility for your own life. You cannot expect the government to feed you all the time. Those who do not work should try to stop eating. I have been very poor and I come from the remotest mountain barrio. I worked hard and I can afford to stay in the city, but with no lockdown, I prefer the life in the mountains. The city is hell, the village is paradise. I am looking forward to going home and planting camote.