As balimbing fruit slowly becomes rare, balimbing politicians become common

A traditional backyard tree fades from urban spaces while its multi-sided name defines the shifting loyalties of local leadership.

Slice a ripe balimbing across the middle and you get one of nature’s prettiest surprises: a perfect star.

Yet for many Filipinos, the fruit is no longer associated with backyard trees, summer snacks, or childhood memories. Instead, it has become synonymous with politicians who switch sides whenever it is convenient.

Somewhere along the way, balimbing earned a reputation it never deserved.

Known internationally as star fruit or carambola, balimbing is a nutritious tropical fruit rich in Vitamin C, fiber, and antioxidants. Its crisp flesh and sweet-tart flavor make it a favorite for juices, salads, and fresh snacks sprinkled with salt.

Older Filipinos may remember balimbing trees growing in their yards or along rural roads. Today, however, they seem harder to find, especially in urban areas where many fruit-bearing trees have disappeared to make way for development.

Ironically, while actual balimbing trees are becoming rare, “balimbing” politicians appear to be everywhere.

The insult comes from the fruit’s shape. With its multiple ridges or “sides,” balimbing became a metaphor for people who supposedly have many faces or loyalties. Over time, it evolved into one of the most common political insults in the country, used to describe turncoats who abandon one camp for another depending on who holds power.

The label stuck so well that many Filipinos now think of politics before they think of fruit.

That is unfortunate because the real balimbing is far more admirable than the people it is often compared to. It nourishes, refreshes, and asks for nothing in return. Politicians, on the other hand, have given the word a reputation built on opportunism and self-interest.

Perhaps no other Filipino fruit has suffered such a strange fate. Nobody calls an untrustworthy person a mango or a lanzones. Only balimbing became the symbol of political convenience.

The next time you see a balimbing tree, remember that the fruit itself did nothing wrong. It simply happened to have too many sides.

And these days, that may be the only thing it has in common with some politicians.