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5    Of Birds and Fishes

 

The peasants’ process of mutual politicization is integral. While the content of non-formal self-education is generally socio-economic and political, the overtones have been traditionally re­ligious. A surprisingly great number of the Philippine peasantry is deeply steeped in the Bible which they use “in season and out of season.”

Many Biblical stories and sayings have become part of the peasants’ oral tradition. Only a few actually read the Book. But a sizeable number of peasants still memorize portions of the Bible which they hand down to their children orally, like the “Passion” singing during the Lenten season, the “Santa Cruz” neighborhood socio-religious celebrations during the month of May, etc.

In a way, they resemble their pre-colonial ancestors who memorized long epics for the simple reason that they could com­mit only short pieces to writing by cutting characters with a knife

 

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or sharp pointed stylus upon bamboo tubes or on the barks of trees.

Alongside the use of Biblicisms, the peasants also employ nature metaphors and analogies to express their thoughts.

At one time, some urbanite cultural workers were simply fascinated with the peasants’ explanation of class society. One of the first things you must realize, Mang Juan, a peasant leader said, is that we live in two different worlds.  It is as if you live in the world of the birds of the air, and, we, in that of the fishes of the sea.

When birds move, Mang Juan continues, they, of course, move fast because they fly. On the other hand, when we fishes move, we move relatively slower because we have to swim in an ocean,

And so it sometimes happens that some birds want to do good to us from the height in which they fly. Condescendingly they say, “Mr. Fish, progress. Move like I do – this way and that way – so you could move faster."

We, fishes, of course, cannot follow because we have to move in this ocean of usury, and tenancy, and other unjust forces.

But the birds continue with their instructions from above: a pilot project here, and another one there – and crash programs that always crash till suddenly the birds, too, lose their patience and they start shouting at us.

 

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“You fishes, you don’t progress at all; you are still poor and destitute, because you are lazy, you are superstitious and re­sistant to change,”

Very few of the educated people will come into oar world, and see the reality of our problems and aspirations from our point of view.

Even the more sincere of so-called “social reformers," and there have been a few, could not help but "take the view in favour of landlords and capitalists. And with great skill, they have propounded numerous justifications for the bird’s viewpoint.

They have said, moreover, that the fish’s point of view is a narrow view. We feel, of course, that the fish’s viewpoint may yet be the broadest in as much as it is the view of the broad masses of people.

Furthermore, with few exceptions like you, the birds always tend to fly so high that they cannot see the fish at all. All they can see are the big shadows of their wings and the comforts of the atmosphere.

Some of us are amused over this situation, because "it often strikes us as a case of trying to be wiser than God. He did not consider His divinity or “superior” status as something to cling to. Rather, as the Bible says. He emptied Himself and became one of us, took oar viewpoints, and our language and only then tried to transform us.