Our country needs “multiplication of the loaves”

In today's Gospel by St. John we learn how Jesus fed 500 men, not counting the women and children, with just five loaves of bread and two fish. In our country today, there are millions who have nothing to eat. Poverty incidence is one of the highest in Asia. Those of you living in mansions and condos may find this observation too negative. But if you just come out of your ivory towers and visit the squatter areas you will be astounded at how many struggle in subhuman conditions.

The poor do not have clean water, access to electricity, no toilets, no decent places to sleep, and do not know where the next meal will come from. Many of them beg, steal, and borrow just to feed their children. The government needs to do mass feeding for children, the aged, as well as for PWDs. DSWD should do literal multiplication of the loaves because many are dying of malnutrition and diseases due to insufficient nutrition and vitamins.

DOLE should stop terrorizing employers with their rampage of declarations of labor-only contracting, driving away investors and killing job opportunities. DOLE should focus on jobs, jobs, jobs, not just inspect, interfere, and cause conflict in the workplaces. What the people need is livelihood. They need work for food. DOLE and DSWD should work together to help those who have no access to food and clean water. DOLE should stop killing the goose that lays the golden egg. Their focus should be employment. Jobs are the greatest ways to provide workers protection. Without jobs, and without employers, where shall the DOLE do their inspections, ad nauseam?

Today’s gospel might not have been an actual multiplication of bread. The people there actually had more than enough bread. But being greedy and selfish, they were hiding them. When Jesus showed the example of charity, all others responded by bringing out their hidden meals and other provisions. Thus, the excess filled 12 baskets of extra food. In the Philippines today so many rich people waste food. They throw these away in the garbage while millions starve. The true multiplication of the loaves was the outburst of mercy and compassion coming from the hearts of men who know how to love and how to give.

The Philippines is really a rich country with too many poor people. If only the wealthy can give at least ten percent of what they have, each Filipino will not sleep without eating supper tonight. St. John's gospel should inspire us to give until it hurts. That is the ultimate test of true Christianity.