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Basta gasta kasta


NAGLALAKO na lang sa mga mahilig ang bata pang ginang…

Inamin sa panayam na hindi naman sapat ang kita ng kanyang mister para tustusan ang mga pagkakagastahan sa araw-araw… inamin na pareho silang hindi nakatuntong sa kolehiyo, wala ring negosyo’t ari-arian… pero gusto ni mister na dumami ang kanyang lahi… yumaman sa anak, kahit wala namang katangi-tanging pakinabang o kapaki-pakinabang na katangian na naidulot sa lipunan at sambayanan ang kanyang lahi…

At nasimulan na nga ni mister ang kanyang pangarap na magparami ng anak… Hindi lang nga natuto ng kahit animal husbandry ang kupal na ‘yon… may palahiang inahin ng mga biik na kailangang mapalaki sa pinakamadaling panahon para maibenta… may bulugang baboy na mailalako ang serbisyo sa mga nag-aalaga ng palahiang inahin.

Hindi man sanay sa babuyan, praktikal lang si misis… kalkalan ang naging kalakalan… kahit katiting na kikitain, maidadagdag na pantustos sa gastos… Sino pa nga ba ang kikilos?

Wala mang kakaibang katangian o maisasalang na kakayahan, meron namang katakam-takam pa ring tipak ng katawan…

Masarap daw ang palaman ng kanyang pantysal.

Coco jam? Ang tawag yata sa ganoong palaman, ummm, matamis na baon…

At the least, we can patronize our own products in such not-too-modest drilling operations.

Modest are the yardstick of human capacity for responsibility, as a Chinese sage has it: “Plant a tree. Write a book. Raise a child.”

An’dali naman talagang gumawa ng bata… ni hindi na kailangan pa ng maraming pasakalye’t seremonya kapag kakastahin ang kabiyak o kahit sinong kabiyakan lang. Parang makina ng sasakyan na susubukan sa emission testing center… paandarin, tiyak na may ibubugang usok.

And for Plato there’s only one serious political topic, of greater urgency and significance than governance and warfare… the upbringing of children.

Aba’y paano bang gumabay sa paglaki ng anak?

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