Uling For Sale

I am writing this blog as I am watching Kara David's report on iWitness "Mga Batang Inasal". It's English translation doesn't sound quite right - The barbeque children. But believe me this has nothing to do with cannibalism. This is because these kids from the province of Sipalay Negros Occidental make uling (charcoal) for a living. We use uling to grill barbeque, steaks and as a substitute for an LPG gas, we use it to cook our ulam, rice and boil water to make it safe for us to drink. These are things we so often take for granted and yet these are already considered luxuries that the Batang Inasal could only dream of tasting. They couldn't even afford to buy rice. I was taken aback when Kara asked one of the kids how often they could eat rice. The kid said they could only taste rice during weddings or birthdays. Regularly,their diet consists of bananas, crushed corn which substitues as their rice and whatever they can find around them such as leaves and even (taklong) snails.

Making uling is really hard work. these kids have to go up the mountain which involves a 3-4 hour hike. In the mountain that's where they get wood to burn. Burning the wood needs to be done carefully - if it's too hot, the wood will turn to ashes and if there's not enough heat, the wood will still be moist inside and this will not be bought. They have to stay in the mountain for a few days to finish the process. The leaves and the branches become their shelter. I am amazed at how resourceful these kids are. This is probably what they gained from a lifestyle of having to make-do with practically nothing. And they've been doing this since they were as young as 5 years old. After they have packed all the uling in the sacks ready to be sold, they have to carry these sacks on their head down to the foot of the mountain. Again, they would have to endure a 3-4 hour hike before they reach it. And after all their hard work, they go home without any cent. For all the sacks they delivered to the store are just enough to pay their debt.

So the next time I eat barbeque or chicken inasal, I'l remember the kids who labor so hard to make the uling used to cook food that they can eat only once in a blue moon. And when I say grace, I'll pray that God will supply their needs as they are also supplying the people's need.