Planting ‘sili’ in the backyard ‘can be done’

This is in connection with the report, “Photo of P1,000 sili ‘erroneous, not accurate’ — SM Markets,” (Inquirer.net, 9/13/18).

We empathize with our poor countrymen, especially the Bicolanos, who are now suffering from the skyrocketing prices of commodities and the 6.4-percent inflation ravaging the country’s economy. Bicolanos, who are known as lovers of the hot spice, must be fuming in anger at the price of their favorite spice.

But I must give credit to Agriculture Secretary Manny Piñol for saying “plant your own sili.”

Sili is very easy to raise. He was right that all one needs to do is dry the seeds or ripen the sili in the sun, plant them in a flower pot, water them and, in time, they will grow and bear fruit.

We do that here in Germany. The price of sili (imported from Thailand and sold at Chinese groceries) here is about 2 euros per 100 grams. That will translate to 20 euros per kilo, or about P1,255.70 at today’s exchange rate.

I once saw a TV documentary about a slum area in Africa. Due to the lack of space to plant vegetables, slum dwellers had the idea of storing their compostable waste in sacks that, in time, became humus.

They placed the sacks where there was enough sunshine and planted vegetable seeds in them. Presto! They were able to raise their own vegetables!

This can be done in the Philippines, too. All we need are industrious hands that are not afraid to be soiled.

In these times of economic woes, the people do not always have to rely on their government; most officials do not seem to care for them anyway. They only look after their own good, not the people’s.

RAMON MAYUGA, [email protected]