ON Good Friday, over 85 million Filipino Roman Catholics are expected to join more than a billion fellow believers worldwide in fasting and abstinence, activities that are meant to be a voluntary sacrifice to show repentance and oneness with the passion of Jesus Christ.
Catholics of ages 18 to 59 are required to fast twice a year. But to about 30 million Filipinos who last month reported experiencing involuntary hunger over a three-month period, fasting and abstinence will not simply be a religious choice but practically a way of life.
According to Social Weather Stations, hunger incidence rose sharply among the poor, a condition claimed by more than half of the respondents.
Considering the rising cost of almost every basic necessity — rent, transportation, fuel, education, clothing, water, electricity and, of course, food — it is possible that those below the poverty threshold will exceed those who consider themselves poor. (Or considering subjectivity, there may be those who make well above the monthly poverty threshold and yet see themselves as poor.)
‘Which is why we can’t help but feel betrayed whenever we learn of public officials living opulent lifestyles made possible by taxpayer money.’
Poverty has correlated positively with hunger, academic performance, sports development, global competitiveness, governance and democratic freedom. While we have occasional stars that rise despite their poverty, actual or relative, Philippine society is, by and large, the product of our collective poverty.
Our per capita GDP of about $4,440 is lower than those of many of our Southeast Asian neighbors, particularly Singapore’s. That amount translates to roughly P20,000 a month. That is almost how much a minimum wage earner in Metro Manila would make monthly if he or she worked every day.
Which is why we can’t help but feel betrayed whenever we learn of public officials living opulent lifestyles made possible by taxpayer money. Look up their private jets, yachts, luxury cars, mansions, and designer outfits if you are skeptical. And these days, they are going around, begging for your votes for another three or six years.
But do not confine yourself to feeling sorry for the rest of the Holy Week, sorry that you are skipping dessert or your cup of espresso on Friday as part of your fasting.
Do not feel righteous either, about not enjoying your favorite mechado or salpicado while settling for a compliant but nevertheless pleasurable sushi or lobster buffet.
Make your fasting and abstinence truly count when they become an expression of your sincere repentance and commitment to a holier life.
Many of us believe that Jesus, who was humiliated, flogged and crucified, submitted himself to indescribable suffering.
It wouldn’t hurt that much if you donate the equivalent of at least one family meal to a household that experiences involuntary hunger, or if you commit to a lifestyle devoted to making sure nobody ever goes to bed again hungry.
