Where’s the Filipino heart?

It is in the little people, the ordinary man and woman in the street, in the market, in the work place. It is in them, who care sincerely and feel for their fellowmen. We met some of them at the Farmers’ Market in Quezon City sometime ago. We encountered another two when we visited the Muntinlupa Public Market mid-week. In the course of monitoring prices, it is gratifying to have met our namesake, Lydia, who with daughter Jeng maintains a meat stall in the market. We didn’t realize that each stall displays a list of controlled (by the DTI) prices for shoppers to refer to. This lady sells her pork at P150 a kilo (with lomo P10 higher). This is P10 less than the DTI dictated price. Why? Because she does not have the heart to burden the ordinary homemaker with the high cost of food. Of course she makes less money. While she used to sell four butchered pigs a day, today she only sells two. She will persevere as long as she can.

In another stall there is a gentleman who carries Monterey meat (we regret not getting his name) who goes by the same principle of selling at lower prices rather than losing his business altogether. This brings us to the reality that it is becoming impossible to keep up with the fast-rising cost of prime commodities. So where’s the heart of the powers that be? Nowhere to be found. One of their most heartless announcements was the P0.50 per liter rise in the price of oil every week! And there is even a plan to tax raw water?

Anyway, Muntinlupa is proud to proclaim that its public market has been adjudged "Huwarang Palengke at Malinis Pa" (Ideal and Cleanest). True enough it is comparatively clean and while everything seems to have gone in price from P1 to P5, it is still offering lower prices–lovely and firm tomatoes at P25 a kilo, carrots at P60, tenderloin between P320 and P350, rice ( we were told that the much-proclaimed NFA rice has disappeared) from P18 a kilo, caimito at P40, mangoes also at P40, kangkong at P5 for a big bunch, cooking oil in small bottles or plastic bags between P17 and P37, home-made kakanin from Raquel and Marie from P10 a slice. One can sense that hard times are here through the one-fourth kilo pricing of seafood, meaning families settle for less viands. Shrimps, depending on size go up to P480 a kilo, squid at P120 and tilapia at P70.

Seems like we just have to grin and bear it. Even in the so-called weekend markets the vendors have upped their prices. In ANNI squid goes for P150 a kilo, small pang-gisa shrimps at P280 and the big ones (not quite jumbo) at P480. Aside from the squid and half kilo of the prawns, our P1,000 got us only three pieces (small) of lapu-lapu, half kilo (three slices) of mameng (a rare fish), a 200 gms pack of halaan in half shells, a bunch of kangkong, tamarinds for sinigang, four pieces of finger chilis and a kilo of really red and firm tomatoes (about the only cheap merchandise in the market at P20.).

We’d like to acknowledge some kababayans who sent e-mail messages, basically because they miss the Philippines. Among them are Ferdinand Burayag (Bong) who lives in Melbourne, Australia and works at a university, Danney League who is employed by Royal Carribean Cruise Line and Marie M. from San Francisco, California. All of them are pining for Philippine food and somehow the net connects them to their mother country and its cuisine, if only through reading Filipino publications, such as STARweek. Their messages and those of readers all over the country are much appreciated.

This one is for kids. Mothers who see the potential and interest of kids who like to cook might want to enroll the young ones in Vicky Veloso’s Tiny Kitchen cooking lessons, one of which starts tomorrow. The next course starts on May 2. The 5-week basic course covers cooking techniques in preparing some of the most popular dishes offered the last few years. A full menu will be taught. There will also be Advanced, Experts’ and Around the World classes. The fee is P5,000 for each course. For inquiries call tel. no. 410-2279 /631-5054/819-0411.

As we continue to wrestle with balancing our budgets to give nutritious food to our respective families, let’s take a minute and reflect. After all it’s Easter and here’s wishing you all happier times ahead!

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