47th Heartbeat

“SAWSAW”

One particular word that certainly catches my attention is “saw-saw”. I am not really proficient in Tagalog or Hiligaynon grammar and my understanding would always be limited on the occasions that I use them (or sometimes, aided by persons who are experts in the proper usage of certain terms, which are quite confusing especially when they are being referred to various instances), but I like to play around with definitions of vernacular terms.

In human interaction, the term “saw-saw” is already overrated. It has a lot of meanings and implications. I remember one time, when we were having our pastoral planning for BEC in the seminary, one seminarian commented, “Nami gid guro kung may ara kita kuntani sang konkreto nga plano sa BEC kay basi bala ‘saw-saw saw-saw’ lang ang himuon naton didto”. True enough, “saw-saw” can be understood in the context of a cliché, wherein you just have to involve yourself in a conversation, but not alleviating the situation or contributing to the solution of a problem. In the course of time, this term actually evolved into something negative because in the technical sense of the word, based on popular usage, “saw-saw” would simply mean to pry, to meddle or to participate in a conversation which you are not actually part of. In short, “saw-saw” has been synonymous to “chismis”. I must admit that there were instances that I also had this notion of “saw-saw”. Hence, I got confused about the appropriate term that I should use if I would go for the depth of the experience. Sometimes, I’d like to use the term “makibabad” or “hulom-hulom” because they are more profound and appealing, but later on, I’ve figured out that they would also mean the same thing.

What does “saw-saw” really mean?

If I go back to its etymology, it would basically refer to an act of dipping one’s food to a “sawsawan”, a condiment made of vinegar, soy sauce (or fish sauce), kalamansi, onions, garlic, and hot peppers, which is a traditional Filipino custom of adding spice to that seemingly bland dish. In every street or corridor, there are a lot gastronomic specialties that are usually coupled with various sauces and dips. I know that oftentimes, it is just a matter of choice, but one could only satisfy his cravings whenever there’s an added zest or zing that would tickle his or her palate. Put it concretely, “Kung magbakal ka sang fishball, barbecue, ukon isaw, may ara gid ya nga sawsawan. Puwede ka kapili sang sabor nga gusto mo- matam-is, maaslom, maalat-alat, ukon makahang”.

This concept, in all its naivety, should really be the definition of the term “saw-saw”, meaning to plunge or to delve into something which an individual values the most.

During our Urban Poor Trial in Payatas, my classmate and I would complain on the outcome of our pastoral program since we were doing nothing for the entire day. We thought to ourselves that we were only there in order to be a burden to our host families who were struggling with poverty and survival. In our earnestness, we concluded that it could’ve been better if there was a specific program that we implemented so that we could have been of great help to the community. At a certain point, our idea was noble and productive but later, we figured out that we were only catering to our own needs and expectations, by trying to impose an ideal which was not actually expected or asked of us.

Looking back, it dawned on me that this is another nuance of the term “saw-saw”. I go to my area of ministry not just for the sole reason of making a difference in people’s lives by my initiatives, but the first thing that I should is to make my presence felt. Inasmuch as I would insist on my idealisms, at times, people would only ask me to have a watchful eye, a listening ear, and a prudent judgment in order that I may have a better grasp of their situation. Inasmuch as “saw-saw” would require transcendence over time, my experience with the marginalized taught me how to be open to a lot of possibilities by paying attention to the various dichotomies experienced by the people I met along the way. I know that my initial desire is to help and to make a change but it is still better not to assume at all, because there will be instances when all they ever ask of me are my sincerity in dealing with them and my willingness to listen to their various litanies in life— whether their spouses have left them for another partner, or their children have left school because of vices, or their despair in looking for jobs to sustain their family, or their “helplessness” in coping with the harshness of miserly life.

Therefore, as what the original etymology would suggest, I am able to savor the various “spices” of life by learning how to condescend with people and to come together as a community. This has added flavor to my own life as well as I continuously affirm this fact in every visit to my area of apostolate. “Sa padayon ko nga nga pangin saw-saw sa lain-lain nga sawsawan sang kabuhi, may bag-o na naman nga sabor sa akon nga panan-aw nahanungod sa akon mga kautoran sa komunidad kag sa nagapadayon nga kabuhi diri sa kalibutan”

“Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around.” (Leo Buscaglia)

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