Buko Business

by Zac Dizon

    There was once a big buko tree in the center of a tranquil and undisturbed Philippine town. The tree is the source of the town's prosperity and income. The tree was taken care of by everyone in the town, they saw reverence in taking care of the massive buko tree. But as time passed by, unrest was growing in the small town, especially with the arrival of a new visitor.  

    Enter Don Jimenez, a man who came from the city to a get a glimpse of this revered tree. And to make it into his new enterprise! He arrived to the town discreetly, originally stating that he is a city-man wanting to retire somewhere quiet and peaceful, but that was not his intention, not at all. In his house on a hill overlooking the entire town, he continues his plot to take all the buko for himself, planning to make gallons of buko juice and mountains of buko pie to ship them off to other parts of the country. 

    He decided to make his move, one hot day in April, and ordered his henchmen to take control of the tree, and to prevent inhabitants of the town from taking any buko. Every fruit was immediately shipped to his house, where it was sent to his secret basement for production and processing. The people suffered as Don Jimenez' plan continued, but the elders of the town decided to take action as the livelihood of the town worsened due to the buko being used for selfish means.

    As Don Jimenez' waistline grew due to the amount of buko being consumed, greed continued to consume his heart. He decided to host a grand Buko Festival, daring anyone who comes to enter his home. As people drew near and took a bite of the buko pies, their faces flashed with horror. The buko was rotten, just like the hosts true intentions!

    One of the village elders, Lola Cici, approached Don Jimenez with a slight smirk on her face, and a plate full of the buko pie in hand. "Don Jimenez, it seems that your plan has failed, and the greed has come back to show us the true you."

    The people gathered in the festival all laughed at Don Jimenez, as all his workers left him and his empire crumbled before his very eyes. His intentions were what had the fruit rotting in the first place. With newfound humility, Don Jimenez pledged to remove the barricades surrounding the buko tree, and to bring it back to the state with which it was before, realizing that true wealth comes from giving, and not hoarding.

    And so, the buko tree continued to stand as a symbol of the fall of greed, its branches abundant with fruit for the people, to be shared with one another and to never be kept and hoarded by a single person. As for Don Jimenez, let's just say that he learned that the sweetest buko fruit are those shared with friends and family.