DE-LATA THEOLOGY: REIMAGINING THE STRUGGLE OF URBAN POOR

TOWARD FOOD SECURITY AND QUALITY OF LIFE

(A Theological Paper in Christian Theology 2)

Submitted by:

JACINTO, MELVIN R.

MASTER OF DIVINITY

Submitted to:

REV. LIZETTE TAPIA – RAQUEL, ThD

November 2020

Union Theological Seminary

Sampaloc I, Dasmariñas City, Cavite

 De-lata Theology: Reimagining the Struggle of Urban Poor

Toward Food Security and Quality of Life

I. Introduction

De-lata as the Common Food to our Table

Life is too difficult for us as a family during my childhood. When the garment factory

where my mother is working was closed due to bankruptcy, she decided not to look for another

job just to take care of us, her four children, as we grow up. From that time, when I was in my

first grade, my father is the only one who was formally employed in the family and working to

meet our daily needs.

Since the family’s source of income is too small for us, my mother tried to meet our

education and basic needs equally with a very tight budget. As a result of this, de-lata (canned

goods), such as sardines and karne norte, became the typical food on the table for our family. It

was our alternative for meat and fish, which we cannot afford to buy for every meal. With a can

of sardinas or karne norte, stir-fry it with vegetables, and add some water to make a soup, we

can create a good dish that is enough for us to survive on a necessary meal a day. Canned goods

give flavor and variety to our simple dishes which we call “pacham,” short for pachamba-

chamba (having some luck).

De-lata in Everyday Meals of the Poor

Those early realities that I experienced with my family are not far from the everyday

experience of urban poor families in the Philippines. De-lata is also their daily food. A family

2
of five (average size of Filipino family)1, can often survive a meal with a can of sardines which is

also dubbed as “the poor man’s food.” As the Philippine economy struggles to improve in the

past years and the government’s economic policies do not genuinely serve the interest of the

masses, the poor Filipinos continue to struggle also toward food security and quality of life. The

purchasing power of those in the lower level of the social structure is so weak that they cannot

afford to buy what is necessary for them at an optimal level.

Poverty-stricken people have no choice but to save their money even by spending on

what they eat. The common Filipino idiom seems very natural for them: “Kapag maiksi ang

kumot, matutong mamaluktot” (If the blanket is short, one must know how to curl up). So de-

lata became their staple food because it is the best thing they could afford. However, there are

poorest of the poor who are often called “isang kahig, isang tuka” (one scratch, one peck) that

even a can of sardines does not afford by their pockets. Many of them, if not water and salt, their

common dish prepared at their table is “pagpag” (a product on the leftover foods of the city’s

middle class).2 From being a staple dish for the table of every urban poor family, de-lata became

somehow a sumptuous or once-in-a-while dish for the poorest of the poor.

For some areas, especially in the countryside, de-lata is a symbol of high social status,

except it is for their food security. Some of them think that having de-latas is like a fulfillment

because they can eat the food that people in the upper social status eat.3 For some who are living

in remote areas and do not have easy access to the market or place to get meat and fish, de-lata is

a food that sustains them to get an alternative source of protein and other micronutrients that can

1 Philippine Statistics Authority (Quezon City, December 29, 2016).

2 Kyung Lah, “'Garbage Chicken' a Grim Staple for Manila's Poor,” CNN (Cable News Network, May 1,
2012), last modified May 1, 2012, accessed October 23, 2020,
https://edition.cnn.com/2012/04/30/world/asia/philippines-pagpag-slums/index.html.
3 Megan J. Elias, “The Palate of Power: Americans, Food and Philippines after the Spanish-American War,”
CUNY Academic Works (2014), accessed October 31, 2020, https://academicworks.cuny.edu/bm_pubs/9/.

3
be found in poultry, livestock, and seafood products. There are also stories in some communities

of indigenous peoples (e.g. the Aetas/Agtas in central Luzon) where they make trades with

vegetables, root crops, and other raw products they harvest in their community in exchange for

de-latas, rice, noodles, and other goods.4

De-lata is embedded in the country’s food system. Most people, during the rainy season,

store many de-latas to make sure they have something to eat for a long time that they cannot

easily go out to find food. Moreover, delatas are readily made food for those who do long travel

and survival food for the victims of the calamity as it is always included in relief packs. Perhaps

one reason why de-lata is so popular in Filipino food is that the Philippines is often hit by natural

calamities such as typhoons and earthquakes. In such situations, the crops of the farmers are

usually damaged, which makes them unprofitable. It also results in people stopping their works

and livelihoods causing them to struggle with their food source and basic needs. Hence, the

nature of de-lata that is ready-to-eat, economical, easy to store, and does not easily spoil, plays

an important role in the lives of the poor and those people who are victims of calamity.

II. Reimagining the Urban Poor in De-lata

De-lata in the Face of Hunger and Poverty

One of the faces of poverty is hunger. Since food is a basic human need, it should also be

the main one to be addressed. Due to extreme poverty and unequal opportunity for all, many

Filipinos are impoverished by the hardships of life. That is why food insecurity is the primary

problem of many poor Filipinos. They cannot afford to buy fresh and nutritious food because of

4 Bion P. Griffin, “Agta Forager Women in the Philippines,” Cultural Survival (Cultural Survival, June 1,
1984), last modified June 1, 1984, accessed October 23, 2020,
https://www.culturalsurvival.org/publications/cultural-survival-quarterly/agta-forager-women-philippines.

4
its high price for their meager money. In addition, the government is lacking support in the

agricultural sector, but imports of imported goods and food are very large.

Simultaneously with the country’s challenging economy, a yearly natural disaster caused

by typhoons during the rainy season, and by the enactment of the new taxation system has made

life even more difficult for the poor, causing the starvation of many people in the country to

worsen. The passing of the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion (TRAIN) Law last

December 2017 resulted in the increase in excise tax on oil products and other raw materials

resulted also in the price increase of basic commodities like canned goods.5 While the

implementers of the new comprehensive tax law say that it will benefit the Filipinos who are

making an annual taxable income of P250,000 and below as they no longer need to pay income

tax starting 2018, the truth is it would be a big blow to the country’s poorest who are coming

from informal sectors because they will bear the brunt of added tax on basic goods and services

without getting any income tax exemptions.6

The immediate negative impact of TRAIN Law experienced in 2018, as the price of

canned sardines increased from the range of 10-12 pesos to 13-15 pesos.7 Even though the price

of de-lata seems to have been raised a little, it is already a huge blow to people who are “isang

kahig, isang tuka.” Dennis Mapa, dean of the UP Diliman School of Statistics, pointed out that

the inflation experienced by the bottom 30% households surged to 4.80% in January 2018, from

5 Czar Joseph Castello et al., Assessment of TRAIN’s Coal and Petroleum Excise Taxes: Environmental
Benefits and Impacts on Sectoral Employment and Household Welfare (Philippine Institute for Development
Studies, December 2018), accessed August 30, 2020,
https://pidswebs.pids.gov.ph/CDN/PUBLICATIONS/pidsdps1841.pdf.
6 IBON Media & Communications, “Even More Money for the Rich under TRAIN Law – IBON,” IBON (IBON
Foundation Inc., January 12, 2018), last modified January 12, 2018, accessed September 1, 2020,
https://www.ibon.org/even-more-money-for-the-rich-under-train-law-ibon/.
7 Marje Pelayo, “Prices of Basic Goods Spike; Canned Goods up by P0.55 to P0.90 – DTI - UNTV News,”
UNTV News and Rescue (UNTV, June 11, 2018), last modified June 11, 2018, accessed August 31, 2020,
https://www.untvweb.com/news/prices-of-basic-goods-spike-canned-goods-up-by-p0-55-to-p0-90-dti/.

5
3.60% last December 2017 due to the recent spike in fuel and food prices.8 This means that the

bottom 30% from the poorest of the poor families experienced a faster food index in January

2018, compared to December 2017. This can also relate to how the size of de-latas now starts to

become smaller, which could be a sign of economic problems and purchasing power.

With this kind of unjust and anti-poor policy, in addition to the corrupt system in the

government, the level of food insecurity is expected to continuously rise in the country. In a

recent report of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization, the Philippines recorded

the most number of food-insecure people in Southeast Asia from 2017 to 2019, with 59 million

Filipinos suffering from moderate to severe lack of consistent access to food.9 From 2014 to

2016, the number of severe and moderately food insecure Filipinos climbed from 44.9 million.10

Poor Filipinos are struggling when it comes to food. This is evident in today's Covid-

2019 pandemic. When strict lockdowns are implemented nationwide, cases of hunger also

increase.11 Families who depend on a daily income from selling on the streets or transporting a

jeepney and pedicab are resisting because of the suspension of their livelihood. I remember the

incident near North EDSA during the height of the Enhance Community Quarantine in NCR

where more than 150 people from the urban poor community of Barangay San Roque in Quezon

City held a rally to call for help from the government.12 That led to a violent dispersal and arrest

8 Chrisee Dela Paz, “Inflation Seen to Continue Hitting Poor Filipinos Hard,” Rappler (Rappler, March 5,
2018), last modified March 5, 2018, accessed September 1, 2020, https://www.rappler.com/business/inflation-
poor-filipinos-tax-reform-poverty-reduction.
9 FOA et al., “Transforming Food Systems for Affordable Healthy Diets,” The State of Food Security and
Nutrition in the World 2020 (2020), accessed September 1, 2020,
http://www.fao.org/documents/card/en/c/ca9692en.
10 Ibid.
11 Krissy Aguilar, “7.6 Million Families Hungry in Past 3 Months, Highest Hunger Rate since 2014 - SWS,”
INQUIRER.net (Philippine Daily Inquirer, September 28, 2020), last modified September 28, 2020, accessed October
31, 2020, https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1340772/7-6-million-families-hungry-sets-phs-highest-hunger-incidence-
since-2014-sws.
12 Aurea Calica and Emmanuel Tupas, “Where's The National Strategic Plan? Duterte's Shoot To Kill Order
Shot Down,” OneNews.ph (Cignal TV-The Philippine Star, April 3, 2020), last modified April 3, 2020, accessed

6
of twenty-one rallyists. It is painful to think that some people are starving because their

livelihoods have been suspended from the pandemic in which the government itself has

implemented. But when they were desperately hoping for help from them, they received violent

treatment. It would have been enough for them to have some rice and de-latas to relieve their

“kumakalam na sikmura” (starvation) that day, but they got nothing. It has been a few weeks

since the strict lockdown was implemented, but none of them in that community have yet

received financial assistance or even relief food packs. For the people who are living in “isang

kahig, isang tuka,” there is no better option between staying at home and working for living

outside. They may not die in coronavirus but they will die in hunger. In the midst of poverty

and hunger, de-latas were the ones they depend on to fill their empty stomachs – their “manna”

to survive in the struggles of life.

It is sad to think that this condition of the poor – poverty and hunger – is often assumed

by others simply because of their laziness. Where in fact, many of them work hard in life or

what they call “kayod kalabaw” just to elevate themselves from poverty. Many of them spend

most of the day exposed to the heat of the sun while carrying heavy loads on their work. Others

go hungry just to reach the set production quota in the factory. Despite that, the standard

minimum wage they receive per day (500-537 pesos for NCR, while 282-350 pesos in other

provinces)13 is often too low to meet the daily expenses of their family. In reality, despite laws

protecting workers' right to a fair and living wage, many of them still receive less than standard

wages. If will I borrow the words from Eleazar Fernandez, what they receive is indeed not a

October 30, 2020, https://www.onenews.ph/where-s-the-national-strategic-plan-duterte-s-shoot-to-kill-order-

shot-down.
13 Bureau of Working Conditions, Handbook on Workers' Statutory Monetary Benefits (Manila,
Philippines: Department of Labor and Employment, 2020).

7
living wage but a death wage.14 Those who sell goods for living on the streets or public places,

too often risk on high levels of competition in their livelihood, almost selling cheaply just to at

least recover their capital. I remember the lyrics of the song “Dukha”15 performed by the

Filipino pop-rock band Aegis:

Ako ay isang anak mahirap

Lagi na lang akong nagsusumikap
Ang buhay ko'y walang sigla
Puro na lang dusa
Paano na ngayon ang buhay ko

Sa akin ay walang tumatanggap

Mababa raw ang aking pinag-aralan
Grade one lang ang inabot ko
No read, no write pa ko
Paano na ngayon ang buhay ko

Isang kahig, isang tuka

Ganyan kaming mga dukha…

This is how the experience of many people on the margins of society is described, “isang

kahig, isang tuka.” However, there are also people who often “kahig ng kahig, wala pa ring

matuka!” This means, as for Melanio Aoanan, “that human life has been so dehumanized and

demeaned to the level of a beastly existence.”16 Hunger and food insecurity are not just a

national problem but a chronic crisis facing the world. It is hard to imagine that while the global

market produces immense wealth with daily financial transactions totaling in the trillions, there

are still approximately 12,000 deaths of malnutrition and poverty-related cases every day.17

14 Eleazar S. Fernandez, “The Church as a Household of Life Abundant,” in Burning Center, Porous
Borders: The Church in a Globalized World (Eugene, OR: Wipf & Stock Publishers, 2011), pp. 147-175.
15 Aegis, “Dukha,” Alpha Music Phils (YouTube Philippines, 2013), last modified 2013, accessed October
29, 2020, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6QxLnIGzqCI.
16 Melanio Aoanan, “Teolohiya Ng Bituka at Pagkain: Tungo Sa Teolohiyang Pumipiglas,” in Anumang
Hiram, Kung Hindi Masikip Ay Maluwang Iba’t-Ibang Anyo Ng Teolohiyang Pumipiglas, ed. Revelation Velunta
(Dasmariñas, Cavite: Union Theological Seminary, 2017), pp. 32-54.
17 Voice of America, “World Hunger Day 2019,” VOA (Editorials on Voice of America, May 28, 2019), last
modified May 28, 2019, accessed October 31, 2020, https://editorials.voa.gov/a/world-hunger-day-
2019/4935420.html.

8
Global hunger, as Fernandez pointed out, does not exist by itself.18 It is very much related to

another global reality which is massive global poverty. According to international data, there is

more than enough food produced in the world to feed everyone on the planet. In fact, about 70

percent of the global food supply is produced by small farmers, herders, and fishermen, yet they

are the ones who are mainly vulnerable to food insecurity because poverty and hunger are most

acute among rural populations.19 The issue is not a lack of food supply, but massive hunger.20

De-lata as the Symbol of the Urban Poor Struggle

De-lata is closely linked to the condition of the urban poor. According to a saying

quoted by Aoanan: “Ang kalidad ng pagkain na ating kinakain ang siyang sukatan ng kalidad ng

ating buhay” (The quality of the food we eat is the measurement of the quality of our lives).21

There are manifold cultural meanings and discourse surrounding food practices and preferences

in all human societies.22 George Byarugaba argues that “food consumption habits are not simply

tied to biological needs but serve as mark boundaries between social classes, geographic regions,

nations, cultures, genders, lifecycle stages, religions and occupations, to distinguish rituals,

traditions, festivals, seasons and times of the day.”23 At this point, I see de-lata as a perfect

embodiment of the urban poor’s life struggle. How does de-lata depict the life of the urban

poor?

18 Fernandez, “The Church as a Household of Life Abundant,” 147-175.

19 Action Against Hunger, “World Hunger: Key Facts and Statistics 2020,” Action Against Hunger (Action
Against Hunger, July 15, 2020), last modified July 15, 2020, accessed October 30, 2020,
https://www.actionagainsthunger.org/world-hunger-facts-statistics.
20 Fernandez, “The Church as a Household of Life Abundant,” 147-175.
21 Aoanan, “Teolohiya Ng Bituka at Pagkain,” 32-54.
22 George Byarugaba, “The Influence Of Food Symbolism On Food Insecurity In South Africa: How
Relevant Is The Eucharistic Celebration?,” Scriptura 116, no. 1 (2017): 1-19.
23 Ibid.

9
 1. The sealed de-lata symbolizes the barriers set to the poor in society. Those barriers

are the factors that limit them to experience fair opportunity and distribution of wealth. If you

look at the history of canning in the Philippines, it was brought to the country during the

American era.24 The principle of canning was first discovered in France in 1809 by Nicholas

Appert in response to his government's call to create a way to preserve food for military use.25 It

was shortly after this event that the canning technology evolved and became part of the food

manufacturing industry. As the commercialization of canned goods increased, so did the

demand from consumers especially those on the lower-class status. Thus, de-lata is a product of

colonialism and capitalism, two things that contribute to the existence of poverty in our country.

Lata represents stories of oppression among ordinary workers, especially in tuna and sardines

and canning factories across the country.26 They are victims of contractualization, while

fisherfolk communities around the fishing grounds of canned food manufacturers are

experiencing its negative impact on their livelihoods and the marine ecology of the ocean.27

On the matter of unequal economic opportunity, we can see a tremendous disparity in

income distribution within the various provinces in our country and even between high, middle,

and low-income earners. The rich, who make up only a very small percent of the total Philippine

population, are the ones who benefit the most from the country's income.28 As the saying goes,
24 Elias, “The Palate of Power”.
25 Editors of Encyclopædia Britannica, “Canning,” Encyclopædia Britannica (Encyclopædia Britannica, inc.,
n.d.), accessed October 30, 2020, https://www.britannica.com/topic/canning-food-processing.
26 Greenpeace Philippines, “PH, SEA Tuna Industry Called to Improve Labor Rights, Sustainability,”
Greenpeace Philippines, last modified August 25, 2020, accessed October 30, 2020,
https://www.greenpeace.org/philippines/press/9969/greenpeace-demands-labor-rights-sustainability-in-ph-sea-
tuna-industry/.
27 Teresita A. Narvaez, “Assessment of the Industry-Level Impacts of the Closed Fishing Season Policy for
Sardines in Zamboanga Peninsula, Philippines,” FFTC Agricultural Policy Platform (FFTC-AP) (Food and Fertilizer
Technology for the Asia and Pacific Region, December 5, 2017), last modified December 5, 2017, accessed October
30, 2020, https://ap.fftc.org.tw/article/1242.
28 Philippine Statistics Authority, Statistical Tables on 2018 Family Income and Expenditure Survey
(Philippine Statistics Authority, March 6, 2020), accessed November 1, 2020,
https://psa.gov.ph/content/statistical-tables-2018-family-income-and-expenditure-survey.

10
“ang mayaman ay lalong yumayaman; ang mahirap ay lalong naghihirap” (the rich get richer;

the poor get poorer). The Gross Domestic Products (GDP) contribution varies in provinces of

our country. People in economically and politically advanced provinces live in better conditions

than their fellow kababayan in other provinces that are lagging behind.

We can see that there is always a bias when it comes to investments in urban economic

hubs rather than rural and inner-city areas. There is better infrastructure, providing essential

services, a higher wage rate, and having enough specialized professionals in urban areas; thus,

the people in the countryside are neglected. This situation of the people in the countryside

causes them to migrate to the metropolis assuming that it is where their lives will be comfortable

because all the opportunities are there. But it only results in higher competition when it comes to

employment and livelihood, high unemployment, and an increase in urban poor population. So

as the saying of the poor from the countryside, “The countryside is pushing you into the cities to

survive, while the cities are pushing you into the countryside to die.”29

2. The compacted content of de-lata depicts the small or limited spaces in the urban

poor communities. Their barong-barong (dwellings) are too small, especially for those who

have large families, that they are usually jammed in which is often described as “parang mga

sardinas sa de-lata.” After all, the land was large enough for the people to live on. Congestion

in the cities would not have been a problem if the distribution of the country's wealth was fair

and no one was taking advantage of them. However, this is not the reality. Overpopulated

Metropolis is a product of government neglect to develop the countryside; especially providing

inadequate assistance to the lives of farmers, fishermen, and indigenous peoples. This is the

result of failure in addressing the root cause of arm-conflict in Mindanao and other rural areas,

29 Eddie Bruwer, Beggars Can Be Choosers: In Search Of A Better Way Out Of Poverty and Dependency,
2nd ed. (University of Pretoria, South Africa: Institute for Missiological and Ecumenical Research, 1996).

11
where people in the said areas who often experience violence and unrest move to Manila in their

desire to live a peaceful life. This is the result of capitalists buying large tracts of land and

convert it into mega shopping malls, condominiums, arenas, and other business establishments.

While many urban poor are not provided with adequate housing.

During the early weeks of ECQ in Metro Manila, I shared the reflection of Bishop Pablo

David, from the Diocese of Caloocan, posted on Facebook with pictures of people living in slum

areas.30 He shared an analysis of the question pondering in his mind – “How do we apply

concepts like ‘lockdown’ and ‘community quarantine’ in the non-first world setting?” One of

my Facebook friends, which happened to be a member of our local church, commented saying

that it is “fake news” and my post is misleading the truth. He said that there is no urban poor

living in the slum areas and creek sides anymore, that this is not the reality at the present. I said

that it is still the present reality as Bishop David shared the stories of the people living in their

community. After some exchange of opinions to him, still, this friend of mine is so adamant. He

challenged me to accompany him in those places to assist the people in the concerned

government agency. Another friend told me to find ways to help those people instead of posting

rants or complaints about the government’s actions on dealing with the pandemic. I reflected on

this incident and asked myself, “why these people cannot understand the plight of the poor and

the urgency of calling the attention of the government to intervene in their situation?” The words

of the late San Salvador Archbishop Oscar Romero give sense to this: “We were indoctrinating

the poor when we told them, ‘It is God’s will for you to live poor and hopeless on the margins of

society.’ That is not true! God in no way wants social injustice… The greatest violence comes

30 Pablo Virgilio David, “How Do We Apply Concepts like ‘Lockdown’ and ‘Community Quarantine’ in the
Non-First World Setting?,” Facebook (Facebook, March 16, 2020), last modified March 16, 2020, accessed August
29, 2020, https://www.facebook.com/pablovirgilio.david/posts/10216169740373293.

12
from those who deprive so many people of happiness, from those who are killing the many

people who are starving.”31

The “new normal” in our present time demands us to distance ourselves from each other,

regularly do hand washing, and wear face masks as minimum health protocols for us to become

protected. But not all can practice these protocols. Those who are living in depressed areas,

where the houses are adjacent to each other, struggle to observe these protocols. How can they

observe physical distancing if they are living in a community with very limited public spaces?

How can they do home quarantine if their houses do not have partitions or isolated rooms,

cramming into a small, cramped shack? They cannot even stand to stay indoors because they

seem to be suffocated during the hot weather. How can they do the washing of hands regularly if

their source of clean water is very limited? How will they ensure healthy physical hygiene to

protect them from viruses if they do not have money to buy soap, alcohol, vitamins, and face

masks? This experience of the poor in the barong-barong is illustrated in a song written by Gary

Granada entitled “Bahay”32 which invites and challenges to revisit the plight of our poor

countrymen:

Isang araw ako'y nadalaw sa bahay tambakan

Labinglimang mag-anak ang duo'y nagsiksikan
Nagtitiis sa munting barung-barong na sira-sira
Habang doon sa isang mansyon halos walang nakatira

Sa init ng tabla't karton sila doo'y nakakulong

Sa lilim ng yerong kalawang at mga sirang gulong
Pinagtagpi-tagping basurang pinatungan ng bato
Hindi ko maintindihan bakit ang tawag sa ganito ay bahay

Sinulat ko ang nakita ng aking mga mata

31 Óscar A. Romero, “The Word Made Flesh,” in The Scandal of Redemption: When God Liberates the
Poor, Saves Sinners, and Heals Nations, ed. Carolyn Kurtz (Walden: Plough Publishing House, 2018), pp. 26-37.
32 Gary Granada, “Bahay,” YouTube Music (YouTube, 2014), last modified 2014, accessed October 30,
2020, https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=jg4OlCxVlK0.

13
 Ang kanilang kalagayan ginawan ko ng kanta
Iginuhit at isinalarawan ang naramdaman
At sinangguni ko sa mga taong marami ang alam

Isang bantog na senador ang unang nilapitan ko

At dalubhasang propesor ng malaking kolehiyo
Ang pinagpala sa mundo, ang dyaryo at ang pulpito
Lahat sila'y nagkasundo na ang tawag sa ganito ay bahay

Maghapo't magdamag silang kakayod, kakahig

Pagdaka'y tutukang nakaupo lang sa sahig
Sa papag na gutay-gutay, pipiliting hihimlay
Di hamak na mainam pa ang pahingahan ng mga patay

Baka naman isang araw kayo doon ay maligaw

Mahipo n'yo at marinig at maamoy at matanaw
Hindi ako nangungutya, kayo na rin ang magpasya
Sa palagay ninyo kaya, ito sa mata ng Maylikha ay bahay

Poverty perpetuates alienation. A recent study posted by Commoner shows how the

cities in the National Capital Region are divided or separated by either natural or artificial

boundaries between communities of the rich and the poor.33 This was posted during the time of

ECQ in Metro Manila where social distancing is strictly implemented. By looking at the aerial

view images that were shared, I realized how our present society systematized the victimization,

marginalization, and alienation of the poor as if they are second class citizens in this country.

For me, this is the real social distancing! Ezekiel Mokwele Katiso Mathole, in his study on the

context of poverty in South Africa,34 pointed out how poverty perpetuates alienation:

“It stratifies society in categories of the rich and the poor, educated and uneducated,
employed and unemployed, homeless and homeowners, privileged and the
underprivileged. It disturbs social harmony by creating a society that is characterized by
exploitation, envy, greed, suspicion, tension and violence. The poor inevitably are the
most unwelcome people in our metropolitan cities since they are likely to spoil the beauty
of the city. They are accused of turning posh suburbs and towns into slums with their

33 Commoner, “The Divide in Our Cities,” Medium (Commoner, June 24, 2020), last modified June 24,
2020, accessed August 29, 2020, https://mediacommoner.medium.com/the-divide-in-our-cities-bff743e1584.
34 Ezekiel Mokwele Katiso Mathole, “The Christian Witness in the Context of Poverty - With Special
Reference to the South African Charismatic Evangelicals” (dissertation, University of Pretoria, 2005), pp. 35-103.

14
 low-class standard of living. They cause the devaluation of properties in which many
privileged members of the community have invested their life savings. In fact, they have
become aliens and intruders in the country of their birth, just because they cannot afford
better housing. Therefore they become victims of discrimination for being poor in an
environment of affluence. They become subjected to all kinds of inhumane treatment.”

Despite this situation, the compacted content of de-lata still symbolizes the full potential

of the urban poor to deal with the challenges in life. Their practicality, strategy, and resilience

are their weapons to overcome their depressing situation.

3. The distinctive smell of de-lata used as a discriminatory remark to the smell of the

people living in depressive areas which are usually having problems in hygiene and

sanitation. If you once smell the interior of the de-lata, you probably already know the specific

smell I am referring to. Sometimes a group of children came to our church from the urban poor

community of San Roque, Quezon City. I heard a member saying that their head smell like a can

of sardines. I do not know if this is a joke, but it is not a crazy joke. I felt my ears heat up when

I heard that. Though I may not even experience their more difficult circumstances in life, I know

what it feels like to always be in need. Like instead of spending their money to just buy food,

they will need to spend on other necessities. Due to inadequate income, many people, like those

children, could not even afford to buy bath soap and brushes. Even the source of clean water is

their problem. This is the situation of many people in different squatter areas in Metro Manila

like Smokey Mountain and Delpan in Tondo, Manila; Barangay Holy Spirit and Payatas in

Quezon City; and Manggahan Floodway in Pasig City.35 And because of poor sanitation and

hygiene in slum communities, the presence of diseases also becomes a problem for them.

35 Marife M. Ballesteros, Linking Poverty and the Environment: Evidence from Slums in Philippine Cities
(Makati City, Philippines: Philippine Institute for Development Studies, 2010), pp. 1-27.

15
 Some say that it is just about making choices on what they want to happen in their lives –

“iyan ang pinili nila kaya sila nagkaganyan.” However, scientific studies show that poverty has

powerful harmful effects on people, and helps explain why it’s so hard to escape. Elliot

Berkman argues that “their choices are much more a product of their situation, rather than a lack

of self-control.”36 So we cannot downplay poverty just because of their wrong decisions. Many

of them are stories of hard work in life but still end in misery because there is an existing social

system that is so oppressive and makes them miserable.

III. Theologizing De-lata

De-lata: the Unleavened Bread and Manna of the Urban Poor

As we discuss the experience of the urban poor, we see how their context symbolizes de-

lata. For the urban poor, de-lata is like unleavened bread. The Israelites’ struggle for liberation

from the Pharaoh in Egypt (Exo. 12) is what depicts their unleavened bread. In Jewish tradition,

unleavened bread is central to their Passover celebration. The usual reason why it is unleavened

is that Yahweh said so (Ex. 12:8, 14-20; 13:3-10). But throughout the history of the Israelites'

escape from slavery in Egypt, one reason why their bread became unleavened was that they did

not have time to put yeast to ferment their dough due to their hasty escape (Exo. 12:33-34). This

is the repeated reminder to the Israelites in Deuteronomy 16:3, “You must not eat with it

anything leavened. For seven days you shall eat unleavened bread with it—the bread of

affliction—because you came out of the land of Egypt in great haste, so that all the days of your

life you may remember the day of your departure from the land of Egypt.”

36 Elliot Berkman, “It's Not a Lack of Self-Control That Keeps People Poor,” The Conversation (The
Conversation Media Group Ltd, September 22, 2020), last modified September 22, 2020, accessed October 30,
2020, https://theconversation.com/its-not-a-lack-of-self-control-that-keeps-people-poor-47734.s

16
 Another reason others pointed out is that the Egyptians are thought to have discovered the

fermentation process that allows the bread to rise.37 This is one way of showing their resistance

to slavery and Egyptian tyranny. Like the unleavened bread of the Israelites that symbolize their

struggle for liberation from the Pharaoh of Egypt (Exo. 12), so as de-lata of the urban poor.

Their desire to resist an oppressive system is reflected in their stories of struggles in de-lata.

This is close to what Romero reflected about God who liberates: “God is telling the poor, as he

told the oppressed Christ when he was carrying his cross, ‘You will save the world by making

your suffering a protest of salvation and by not conforming to what God does not want. You will

save the world if you die in your poverty while yearning for better times, making your whole life

a prayer, and embodying everything that seeks to liberate the people from this situation.’”38

As the Israelites traveled through the wilderness after their hurried escape from Egypt,

they continued to experience the blessing and faithfulness of Yahweh to them. When they were

hungry, God gave them “Manna” from heaven (Exo. 16). A symbol for the Jews of God's

provision or “daily bread.” For the urban poor, it was de-lata that symbolized God's subsistence

to them every day. This is the “manna” of God in times of famine and disaster. That even

though life is hard and they lack money, they have something to put in their stomachs because

there is de-lata that is affordable and easy to store for them.

It is in the bread that we identify the crucifixion of Christ, while in de-lata we can see the

suffering of many poor Filipinos. In this sign, we can also look at Jurgen Moltmann's view of

the crucified God. He said, “Christian identification with the crucified Christ means solidarity

with the sufferings of the poor and the misery both of the oppressed and the oppressors. On the

37 Patrick Stewart, “Yeast: A Religious History” (2019), accessed October 30, 2020,
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/337899260_Yeast_A_Religious_History.
38 Romero, “The Word Made Flesh,” 26-37.

17
one hand, if this solidarity is seriously accepted, selflessly and without reserve, it is in itself an

identification with the one who was crucified and ‘became poor, so that by his poverty you might

become rich’ (II Cor. 8.9).”39

By eating de-lata and being in solidarity with the poor, may it help us to understand how

Jesus also participates in their struggle. By giving a new depiction to the suffering of the poor

through de-lata, may it encourage us to pay more attention and serve them. As Luna Dingayan

said: “For Jesus, the purpose of life is not to live for ourselves, but to live for others. All the

great men and women in history are considered great not because they live their lives selfishly

for their own selves, but because they give up their lives in the service of other people; they

spend their lives not for their own salvation, but for the salvation of other people. This is what

Jesus would like to teach to the people of his day through his life and ministry.”40 In this same

sense, Clemens Sedmak called for the doing of theology by giving special attention to the poor

and marginalized the same as Jesus did.41 He argues, “It is so tremendously important that

theologians and church officials keep in touch with real life situations, with the reality of people

who are less privileged. This educates our eyes to look at the world and see things and people in

the world… Jesus invites us to share the view of the excluded, to embrace an outlook on reality

that is not the mainstream position. He invites us to look at the world with the eyes of the

poor.”42

39 Moltmann Jürgen, The Crucified God: the Cross of Christ as the Foundation and Criticism of Christian
Theology, First. (Minneapolis, MN: Fortress Press, 1993).
40 Luna I. Dingayan, “God Became Human: Understanding the Christ in the UCCP Statement of Faith,” in
Unless a Seed Falls and Dies: Commentaries on the UCCP Statement of Faith (Manila, Metro Manila: UCCP Faith and
Order Commission, 2010).
41 Clemens Sedmak, “Local Theologies and the Social Situation,” in Doing Local Theology: A Guide for
Artisans of a New Humanity (Maryknoll, New York: Orbis Books, 2002), pp. 96-119.
42 Ibid.

18
Opening De-lata: The Image of God’s Reign and Good News to the Urban Poor

From breaking of the bread to opening the de-lata, it sends a strong message, an image of

liberation for the urban poor on how they struggle to break from poverty and hunger. The

breaking of bread, like what Jesus did, speaks on the quality of life he is envisioning. We see in

the Gospels that the breaking of the bread was the unique sign of Jesus in his ministry (Mt 14:19,

15:36, 26:26; Mk 6:41, 8:6, 14:22; Lk 9:16, 22:19; Jn 6:11, 51-58). In the Lukan narrative, on

the day Jesus was resurrected, it is his breaking of bread that became the clue for the two

disciples he met on the road to Emmaus for him to be known (Lk 24:30-32). This became a

practice by the apostles and early Christians up to this day (Acts 2:42, 20:7-11, 27:35; 1 Cor

11:23-24).

The use of symbols and metaphors in a context or experience is a powerful method of

theology to make sense of things in human life and use it to further strengthen their spirituality.

If the Jews interpreted the unleavened bread to retell the history of their bondage and deliverance

from Egypt, so did the Christians to make sense of Christ's sacrifice on the cross which

symbolized the breaking of bread and the sharing of wine. Jesus created in the New Testament a

new meaning of eating bread as a symbol of partaking in his death, resurrection, and desire for

establishing a new social order in which the reign of God will be realized on earth as it is in

heaven. Likewise, I want to give a new meaning to de-lata as a symbol of the struggle of the

urban poor for food security and quality of life.

Opening de-lata is the struggle of the urban poor toward liberation from poverty and an

unjust social system. Drawing out from what is inside the lata is like an Exodus story for the

urban poor. It is getting out of the unjust system, breaking from the barriers that delimit them.

Eating the food coming for the lata is a depicted image of new life that is to come, which is often

19
described as “buhay na ganap at kasiya-siya.” Coming to the hapag (table), having a meal with

others, and enjoying the food coming from the lata is a communion experience. An image of

God’s reign and good news for the poor. A celebration of the fullness of life that every poor

desired to be realized as much as Jesus also wants everyone to experience (Jn 10:10): “...I came

that they may have life, and have it abundantly.” It is in the eucharistic meal that Fernandez

recognized the radical vision of Christ in an egalitarian society.43

The vision of a fulfilled and inclusive society can translate to some important events in

our cultural context like bayanihan, piyesta, pagsasalo-salo, pagdadamayan, and

pakikipagkapwa. The emphasis on interconnectedness, where no one is excluded or alienated, is

one of the characteristics of Jesus’ vision of fulfilled society. In this case, it is good to revisit

what Aoanan’s view on his use of “pagkain” and “bituka” as an important factor in describing

human relationships with each other.44 That in front of the dining table we form a strong bond

with each other as “magkakapatid.”45 Albert Alejo, on the other hand, pays attention to the

“pakikidama” and “pakikisangkot” to fully understand the human “loob” that brings us a

meaningful relationship with each other.46 He described “loob” in this way as an important trait

for us Filipinos:

“Sa ibabaw ng tubig, ang mga isla ay tila magkakahiwalay, subalit kapag ikaw ay
sumisid, lahat pala’y magkakaugnay. Dito nabubunyag ang loob bilang kapwa. Sa
pagmamalay sa malalim na kaisahan ng lahat ng tao sa larangan ng loob—dito
nakabatay ang posibilidad ng mapaglikhang pagbabago ng daigdig. Gayon din naman,
sa pagkawasak ng ganitong pagkakaisa guguho ang munti mang pag-asa kahit sa
pinaka-indibidwal na paninindigan.”47

43 Fernandez, “The Church as a Household of Life Abundant,” 147-175.

44 Aoanan, “Teolohiya Ng Bituka at Pagkain,” 32-54.
45 Ibid.
46 Albert E. Alejo, “Loob Ng Tao,” Social Transformations: Journal of the Global South 6, no. 1 (May 2018):
5-28.
47 Ibid.

20
 It is in our “pakikidama” and “pakikisangkot” to reach what is in the “loob” of the poor

that the De-lata Theology aims. It desires to help us understand again how we as human beings

can be truly human – by reimagining the plight of the poor. For it is in becoming truly human

that we can be truly divine.48 The challenge for us is to translate this new vision that de-lata

creates into concrete action as we struggle with the poor. Our understanding of Holy

Communion can only make sense if it is translated into our concrete solidarity with the poor, the

marginalized, the victims, and the oppressed. As Moltmann puts it, “Christian identification

with the crucified necessarily brings him into solidarity with the alienated of this world, with the

dehumanized and the inhuman. But this solidarity becomes radical only if it imitates the

identification of the crucified Christ with the abandoned, accepts the suffering of creative love,

and is not led astray by its own dreams of omnipotence in an illusory future.”

Tumbang Preso: Crashing Down the Unjust and Oppressive System from the Lata

The new vision created in de-lata as the image of God’s reign and Good News to the

urban poor continues in crashing down the unjust and oppressive system from the lata.

Tumbang Preso, as a popular game in relation to de-lata, is a traditional street game of poor

Filipino children. The goal of the game is to turn down the lata using tsinelas and avoid being

sacked out by the opponent. The game gives a subconscious image from the minds of the poor

to crash down the unjust and oppressive system (social, political, economic, and religious) that

the lata depicts.

Tumbang Preso is a radical image of going into the process of creating a new social

order for the poor. It is about people’s resistance to the oppressive neoliberal society – like
48 Dingayan, “God Became Human”.

21
beating swords into plowshares. One of the characteristics of this game that is good to pay

attention to is that it is played as a group and not just individually. It teaches us that the work of

shaping a just and humane society is a work for all and not for one. In this game, you will learn

to focus on what should be given priority – to knock the lata and avoid being sacked out. It can

be used as a template in our ministry as we engage in the grievances of the poor – to fight the

evils of society and not to be carried away by its corrupt system.

As we embrace the significant message of De-lata Theology – in our “pakikidama” and

“pakikisangkot” to the plight of the poor and marginalized of society – may it also be part of the

ministry of the Church. Like how Ferdinand Anno gave depth and emphasis to the people's

pakikiba as it relates to their liturgy and pagsamba.49 On this matter, we should look at the work

of M. Douglas Meeks as he discussed finding a place of theology and the church in the market

society that is dominated by global capitalism and consumerism.50 Meeks noted that “the nature

of our society is accumulation of wealth as power” and “the logic of our society is exchange of

commodities.”51 This kind of market society tends to destroy communities. It is about how the

church, as the bearer of oikonomia tou theou, will become relevant in this kind of society.

Meeks share the ethical tasks on doing theology and making relevant as a church in this kind of

society: 1) How to humanize the market so that it can serve a human future; and 2) how to create

economy beyond the market so that the full meaning of economy can be realized for human

beings and nature.52 Meek is proposing the economy in Eucharistic practice as an alternative

49 Ferdinand Anno, “The Subversive Pilgrim and the Liturgical Rhetoric of Struggle,” in Anumang Hiram,
Kung Hindi Masikip Ay Maluwang: Iba’t-Ibang Anyo Ng Teolohiyang Pumipiglas, ed. Revelation Velunta
(Dasmariñas, Cavite: Union Theological Seminary, 2017), pp. 6-31.
50 M. Douglas Meeks, “The Future of Theology in a Commodity Society,” in The Future of Theology:
Essays in Honor of Jürgen Moltmann, ed. Miroslav Volf, Carmen Krieg, and Dörken-Kucharz Thomas (Grand Rapids,
MI: Eerdmans, 1996), pp. 253-266.
51 Ibid.
52 Ibid.

22
model of the church to transform the neoclassical market society. The practice of sharing meals

gives much emphasis on being “gifted” and “gifting” that can liberate the market society that has

a mentality of “scarcity” and “satiation.”

In De-lata Theology, we challenge the existing system of the globalized world where it

only widens the gap between the rich and the poor, while also destroying the whole of creation.

In responding to the fight against poverty and hunger, it is also important to talk about the path

we want to take when it comes to the political, social, economic situation that we want to

achieve. This is where the practice of our Eucharist experience takes place to give clarity on the

image of stewardship that we want to achieve in our world. Many alternative economic models

can shed light on what Jesus wants in a society that is for everyone. The “Evangelical

Economics” of John Wesley53, the “Economy of Life” of World Council of Churches54, the

“Economy of Grace” of World Council of Reformed Churches through its Accra Confession55,

and the “Ecological Economic” of Sally McFague56 are some of the examples of alternative

economic models that we can give more in-depth study and practice.

Whereas, doing this work will not be easy. It requires strong unity and cooperation

among the various social sectors, especially in the Church. It requires self-sacrifice and service

to others. Let these words from John M. Perkins resonate in our “damdamin at kamalayan”:

“To me, our legitimacy and our identity as the church of Jesus Christ is wrapped up in our

53 Theodore W. Jennings, Good News to the Poor: John Wesley's Evangelical Economics (Nashville, TN:
Abingdon Press, 1990).
54 Rogate R. Mshana and Athena Peralta, Economy of Life: Linking Poverty, Wealth and Ecology (Geneva,
Switzerland: World Council of Churches Publications, 2015).
55 World Communion of Reformed Churches, “24th General Council of the World Communion of
Reformed Churches,” 24th General Communion of the World Council of Reformed Churches (Accra, Ghana: World
Communion of Reformed Churches, 2004), pp. 1-4.
56 Sallie McFague, Life Abundant: Rethinking Theology and Economy for a Planet in Peril (Minneapolis,
MN: Fortress, 1997).

23
response to the victim in our world.”57 This is the same emphasis that Howard A. Snyder is

trying to imply to the Church, “The gospel to the poor and the concept of the church are

inseparably linked. Failure to minister to the poor testifies to more than unfulfilled

responsibility; it witnesses to a distorted view of the church and the need for radical renewal.”58

IV. Conclusion

In conclusion, it is important to emphasize again the important points in this theology of

de-lata. That de-lata depicts the life of the poor: their full and rich potentials, their continuous

hope and struggle for liberation, and their desire to crash down the unjust system that limits them

to experience the fullness of life. It pays attention to the fact that although de-lata is the source

of sustenance given by the Sustainer God for the urban poor, it is still not the optimal state and

best in their lives. As we know, many de-lata products have high sodium content that may cause

many chronic diseases in heart, lungs, and kidneys. What is best for them is healthy and

nutritious foods.

De-lata is the communion food for the urban poor, the unleavened bread, that symbolizes

their endless stories of God’s providence and struggle toward liberation. De-lata also creates a

vision of the poor, the oppressed, and the alienated to a new world order where the reign of God

becomes a reality – a new economic structure that is inclusive and takes care of all creation. By

sowing the seed that contains the message of this theology, may the image of de-lata represented

by the suffering of the urban poor be an inspiration. That as we eat de-lata again, we will

57 John M. Perkins, “Revolution,” in Called to Community: the Life Jesus Wants for His People, ed. Charles
E. Moore (Walden, NY: Plough Publishing House, 2016), pp. 260-264.
58 Howard A. Snyder, Radical Renewal: the Problem of Wineskins Today (Wilmore, KY: First Fruits Press,
2015).

24
remember them – their hardships, problems, cries, desires, and dreams. May take part in their

struggle, not only in spirit but also in deed. Let us line up with them and join them in their

journey to freedom from hunger and poverty. Amen.

25
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