All have seen on ABS-CBN TV during evening news of one named Kim Atienza, or “Kuya Kim,” who informs us regularly about weather condition.
After having appraised us on weather updates, Atienza would usually ends by saying, “Tandaan natin, ang buhay ay weather, weather lang.”
In the company last Sunday with a group of Cordilleran rural folks in Buguias, Benguet, about 42 kilometers from Baguio City, the folks were pleasantly conversing about usual turn of events in everyday life in highlands Cordillera.
Ah Kong, listening to them, kept his peace by keeping his wide and toothless mouth shut, instead enjoying a cup of barako coffee while lending his ear to the folks’ conversation.
Of the many things the folks talked of, Ah decided to present them to you, fine readers, one topic they discussed. It’s about the Satarah Wellness issue.
It relates to our second paragraph about life being “weather-weather lang.”
In the Satarah issue, the folks – daily laborers who’d rather break their backs working rather than steal to bring food on the table and put shoes for their children’s feet – concluded that those who were linked to soliciting investment from individuals in exchange for high return from their investment, are no more than “persons with avarice, with the inordinate desire of possessing what others possess, without effort of sweat from the brow.”
For those uninformed about the Satarah Wellness issue, it’s about an investment offered by the Baguio-based company to anyone to invest their money in such company and your investment supposedly will earn from 15 to 20 percent monthly.
Ordinary folks particularly in Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) took the bait – hook, line and sinker – only to discover to their dismay and anger they were hoodwinked and their hard-earned money vanishing into thin air.
In a nutshell, Satarah Wellness scheme is presently looked by those fleeced of their hard-earned money as a scam.
Back to the folks who discussed the Satarah issue among themselves. They wondered why some have what they termed, “people of avarice possessing the wicked of all passions and vices and the most general ill tendency to disturb the peace and property of other mortals.”
One of them, Labnos Pacio, 63, said of the issue, “If everyone would be but contented with his/her own, every individual might quietly enjoy his/her own. But if avarice bids us to take, we will find hallow reason to follow its advice. Don’t you think so, my friends?”
Rubinay Salio, still a lovely lady in her 50’s, answered Labnos, said, “When others covet things which aren’t theirs, with a desiring eye, they trouble not, to think, that the present owner may have as much the need for it. Some people only consider what they want from those they want to plunder.”
Rubinay, in Ilocano, described those involved in the scheme as having the propensity of saying, “kwak, kwak, kwak amin ti kwartam!”
Bernabe Kusiding, 62, silent awhile listening to his co-folks talk, rubbed his gnarled hands together to ward off the Buguias cold, cleared his throat and said, “Let me play the devil’s advocate on this issue with my piece of mind why some kailyan of ours and their monies are soon parted.”
“What I mean by this, “Kusiding paused, and continued, “there’s a time of the weather when glib-talking persons come into your life and entice you of offerings of nectar in exchange for sweeter nectar.”
“Anyone, desirous of more honey would by blinded, not by the glib-talking person, but by his/her own avarice to have more nectar. Avarice, too, have many faces and works in both ways, if you get what I mean.”
Kusiding went on to explain it was not wrong to acquire wealth and probably gain millions of pesos, but the process of doing it should be prudent.
Kusiding pointed out he would rather labor to gain millions of pesos and not depend on “get-rich quick scams.”
“But considering how money corrupts mortals, and how much we are prompted by its evil inclinations, the wonder is not great, if, in our own judgement, we get all the money we want and damn the consequences,” Kusiding lamented.
Kusiding’s talk about gaining millions of pesos prompted Ah to wonder about, have you ever wondered how the phrase, “Behind every successful man. . . there’s a woman,” came into our world? No?
Well, Ah will tell you. This is a true story. One day long ago, a boss took his employees and their families on a tour in Africa.
There they came upon a river teeming with crocodiles. Their boss had an idea and announced he’ll give a million bucks to any employee who’ll swim across the river.
But no employee took up the challenge. Then suddenly, one employee leaped into the river and swam frantically for his life on the river’s other side, the crocodiles chasing him. Luckily, he made it.
Recovering his breath, the employee – who became an instant millionaire – shouted angrily, asking who pushed him into the river.
It was his wife who did it!
From that day onwards, that was how the phrase, “Behind every successful man. . . there’s a woman,” came to our vocabulary.
Back to Kusiding.
The folks nodded in unison to Kusiding analyzing the Satarah Wellness issue, invoking Baguio is a wonderful place with wonderful people, but with a smattering of con people always looking for human weaknesses.
These con persons stick to a foul and twisted view that “ang buhay ay weather-weather lang,” and if they can dupe anybody of their money and get away with it, they’ll do it again anytime of the year.
It’s up to us to unravel glib-talking mortals that snuck up on our weather.
Salvacion kesbeng, in her 70’s and a Lola in the group summed up what the group discussed about Satarah issue.
She advised, “Be contented!”
Which is the same thing in other words as, “Be happy!”
“Whereas, it’s generally found a more difficult task to be contented in our general condition, than to acquire (money) that which we fancy would give us perfect happiness,” Lola told her opinion about the issue.
Listening to Lola Salvacion talk made Ah nod his head in agreement. Yes, indeed, he thought to himself, if one wants to be happy and contented, go visit Burnham Park, Sunshine Park, Panagbenga Park, People’s Park, Wright Park and the wrong park.
Why bother talking with glib-talking scam artists who would fleece you of your money and make your panawen sour?
Instead of dreaming of get-rich fast ways, use your hard-earned money instead to visit a certain restaurant somewhere in Manila. It’s called “Ngiiaao Restaurant.”
This restaurant has an enticing offer: if you bring your wife, there’s 10 percent discount. If you bring your girlfriend, there’s 5 percent discount. If you bring both your wife and girlfriend, it’s free meal.
And the greatest contentment you can get even if you have no millions of pesos in your bank account is when your wife tells you, “Lakay, ides-cribe mon man siak?”
And you will answer honestly, “Baket, you are A to H and IJK.”
Your baket will ask, “Lakay, anya ngay diay A to H?
So you will answer: “Admirable, Beautiful, Cute, Delightful, Energetic, Funny, Generous and Happy.”
Of course, your wife will say, “Wow, lakay, how sweet ka naman!” and asks, “Ngem masaludsod ko, anya ngay diay letters nga IJK?”
And you will answer your baket, “I’m Just Kidding.”
Ah plainly understood the rural grit of the folks’ take about Satarah Wellness issue.
They are elated with what abounds from honest labor, keeping some for a rainy day, spending for family and enjoying laughter with family members, kin and friends, rather than anxiety and care which some mortals take how their money will be laid out when they are in their graves.
By doing so, the weather smiles warmly for them. And why not so?