“Suwaan bay humay?” Has the Boholano concept of the sacred rice changed?

TAGBILARAN CITY, Bohol, October 31 (PIA)—Across time, Boholano attitude towards rice and its consumption has apparently changed.

Rice, to Boholanos is as sacred as ubi, its ethno-religious root crop.

Such is so, that when farmer’s child trips and accidentally drops an ubi, the ubi gets a kiss, the child gets a whack in the butt.

When farmers dry the palay in pavements all over Bohol, people would make sure they do not step on it, or drive over it. Traffic accidents have happened because of this.

Such is the respect that when one spills rice on dirt, somebody has to scoop it, winnow and make sure dirt separates from the grains, and the salvaged rice is still good for another meal.

Which makes us wonder why across Central Visayas, data from the Philippine Statistics Authority said, Bohol consumes the biggest share of rice per capita at 103.37 kilos.

Here, where families are overly extended: the grandparents, aunts and uncles and their families sometimes live with a full family under one roof, and elders make it their mission to instil in the kids ways of saving rice.